Department for Work and Pensions

Jobcentres: Glasgow

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, on which date (a) he and (b) a Minister in his Department last visited Shettleston Jobcentre Plus.

Damian Hinds: The date of the last Ministerial visit to the Shettleston Jobcentre Plus could only be provided at disproportionate costs. However, it can be confirmed that since May 2015, there have been no visits to the above Jobcentre Plus by the Secretary of State or his Ministers.

Jobcentres: Glasgow

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, on which date (a) he and (b) a Minister in his Department last visited Easterhouse Jobcentre Plus.

Damian Hinds: The date of the last Ministerial visit to the Easterhouse Jobcentre Plus could only be provided at disproportionate costs. However, it can be confirmed that since May 2015, there have been no visits to the above Jobcentre Plus by the Secretary of State or his Ministers.

Jobcentres: Glasgow

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, on which date (a) he and (b) a Minister in his Department last visited Parkhead Jobcentre Plus.

Damian Hinds: The date of the last Ministerial visit to the Parkhead Jobcentre Plus could only be provided at disproportionate costs. However, it can be confirmed that since May 2015, there have been no visits to the above Jobcentre Plus by the Secretary of State or his Ministers.

Social Security Benefits: Children

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what evidence a claimant will have to provide to secure an exemption in relation to support for a child conceived without your consent.

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which (a) public and (b) other agencies under which circumstances will have access to information recorded in relation to support for a child conceived without your consent.

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the appeals process is for applications for Support for a child conceived without your consent which have been declined by his Department.

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether data recorded on the form NCC1, Support for a child conceived without your consent, will be made available to defence solicitors acting in rape, sexual assault and domestic abuse cases.

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how his Department plans to record information that a child has been conceived as a result of rape for the purposes of Support for a child conceived without your consent.

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how his Department plans to assess whether a claimant of Support for a child conceived without your consent is living with the person by whom the child was conceived.

Damian Hinds: We recognise that this is a difficult and sensitive issue, and have set up procedures that are mindful of the sensitivities involved. To claim the exception the claimant will need to provide a completed pro-forma from an approved third party or evidence relating to either a relevant criminal conviction or relevant award of criminal injuries compensation. DWP staff will not question the claimant about the incident, they will only take the claim and receive the supporting documents. Claimants will be asked to confirm that they are not living with the other biological parent of the child during the process of providing evidence. They will not be asked to identify the alleged perpetrator.Where a pro-forma is provided from a third party, DWP staff will check that the form is complete and verified by an approved third party. Where other evidence is provided this will be checked and returned to the claimant.The decision regarding entitlement to the exception will be subject to the normal mandatory reconsideration and appeal process.DWP will hold exception information for the duration of an open claim and then for 14 months after a claim is closed. This is in accordance with standard procedures and to ensure that the 14 month maximum appeal period for decisions is observed.Where a claimant moves between Child Tax Credit and Universal Credit, the information with regard to the exception will be shared between DWP and HMRC to prevent the claimant from having to provide evidence for the exception a second time. A secure data transfer method has been set up to manage this process. In the case of an appeal, information will be shared with HMCTS to facilitate the appeal. This will be managed in line with data protection requirements.Any disclosure request for information in relation to the exception would be considered in liaison with the prosecuting authority as appropriate, in accordance with procedures and practice applicable in the jurisdiction concerned and taking account of particular circumstances, including the relevance of the documents requested to the case and all applicable legal considerations including those relating to data protection.

Social Security Benefits: Children

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many third party professionals in Scotland have been approved to complete the form NCC1, Support for a child conceived without your consent.

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what budget has been allocated from the public purse for training third party professional referrers in relation to the process for application for Support for a child conceived without your consent.

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what training his Department has provided to third party professionals in relation to assisting people with applications for Support for a child conceived without your consent.

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what training his Department has provided to third party professionals in respect of disclosures made in connection with applications for Support for a child conceived without your consent.

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what training has been given to his Department's staff for the assessment of applications for Support for a child conceived without your consent.

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the provisions relating to applications for Support for a child conceived without your consent, what his Department's policy is on the implications for third party professionals who verify that a claimant qualifies for that support in the event that the claimant's case is subsequently assessed as weak.

Damian Hinds: The list of third party professionals for the non-consensual conception exception is published on gov.uk and the legislation enables these professionals in Scotland to provide evidence.Approved third party professionals are those who in the course of their duties already deal with people in difficult circumstances, and are people with whom we believe it would be beneficial for the claimant to engage in order to obtain further guidance and support.No new legal duties are placed on the third party professionals. They will not be asked to form a judgement as to whether or not the conception was non-consensual. The third party professionals are confirming only that the claimant’s circumstances are consistent with those of a person who has conceived a child in such a way. Under the legislation, this confirmation alone suffices as evidence of entitlement to the exception.

Personal Independence Payment: Appeals

Ellie Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average waiting time for a tribunal hearing is for someone appealing a personal independence payment decision.

Ellie Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of applicants have had their personal independence payment decision overturned at the appeals stage in the last 12 months.

Penny Mordaunt: The information requested is in the link below: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/tribunals-and-gender-recognitions-certificates-statistics-quarterly-january-to-march-2017-and-2016-to-2017 See Table SSCS3 for outcomesSee Table T3 for clearance times

Jobcentres: Armed Forces

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Jobcentre Plus districts have a designated Armed Forces champion.

Damian Hinds: There are currently 46 Armed Forces Champions covering the 34 Jobcentre Plus Districts. The role of an Armed Forces Champion is to ensure that the support, advice and guidance offered reflects the needs of Service leavers and the wider Service community. The Champions work in partnership with the Armed Forces community, supporting organisations and local and national employers to identify employment opportunities and specialist support for Service leavers.

Veterans

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what training and guidance is provided to his Department's staff on dealing with veterans.

Damian Hinds: DWP staff receive appropriate training and suitable guidance is in place to enable them to support the wide range of needs and circumstances that claimants have. For veterans, this will range from providing them with the support they need to find civilian employment after a long spell in the forces to using Service Medical Board evidence for some veterans claiming Employment and Support Allowance.

Employment and Support Allowance: Medical Examinations

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what criteria his Department uses to select employment and support allowance claimants for medical examination.

Penny Mordaunt: The Criteria can be found at 1.4.1 and 3.8.2.2 of the Work Capability Assessment Handbook available here:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/work-capability-assessment-handbook-for-healthcare-professionals. More detailed advice for healthcare professionals is contained in the Filework Guidelines.

Employment and Support Allowance: Medical Examinations

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the minimum qualification requirements are for people conducting medical examinations on employment and support allowance claimants.

Penny Mordaunt: The information you have requested can be found here https://data.gov.uk/data/contracts-finder-archive/contract/1644334/ in Schedule 2.1, paragraph 46, page 52 of the Health Disability Assessment Service Contract.

Employment and Support Allowance: Medical Examinations

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many complaints have been made by employment and support allowance claimants after medical examinations.

Penny Mordaunt: Just over 0.6% of all face-to-face Work Capability Assessments carried out in the last twelve months generated a complaint to the Centre for Health and Disability Assessments (CHDA).

Jobcentres: Glasgow

Patrick Grady: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he plans to announce his decision on the future of Maryhill Jobcentre.

Damian Hinds: The Department intends to confirm its plans for the DWP estate, including Maryhill Jobcentre, soon and will make a statement in due course.

Local Housing Allowance

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to page 82 of the report, UK Poverty: Causes and Solutions, published by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation on 6 September 2016, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of the recommendation to uprate local housing allowance in line with local market rents.

Caroline Dinenage: Currently, Local Housing Allowance rates are frozen for 4 years from April 2016. In practice, this means that they either remain at the April 2015 rate or are set at the 30th percentile of local rents if this is lower. There is however, Targeted Affordability Funding available and we have used this in 2017/18 to increase 48 LHA rates by 3 per cent in areas with high rental costs. Further funding will be available for this purpose in 2018/19 and 2019/20.

Social Security Benefits

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will end the freeze on working-age benefits.

Caroline Dinenage: The Welfare Reform and Work Act 2016 has frozen the majority of working-age benefits for four tax years, from 2016-17 to 2019-20. These benefit rates will therefore remain the same.

Housing Benefit

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will publish the formula for the distribution of discretionary housing payment grant to local authorities.

Caroline Dinenage: The Government contribution and expenditure limit for the 2017/18 allocation for local authorities in England and Wales and details of the methodology used for the distribution of the four main areas of funding is outlined at the link below. https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/595729/s3-2017.pdf

Children: Maintenance

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Answer of 10 March 2017 to Question 66119, on children: maintenance, when he plans to publish his Department's response to the 2016 consultation on child maintenance deduction orders against joint accounts; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Dinenage: Further to our answer dated 10 March 2017 to Question 66119 we have been working to progress our analysis of the consultation responses. We are now finalising our response which will be published shortly.

Personal Independence Payment

Alex Chalk: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people were not notified of the outcome of a personal independence payment assessment or a change in the level of their awards owing to recent IT faults; and what steps have been taken to prevent recurrence of those faults.

Penny Mordaunt: We have no record of any Departmental IT failures for Personal Independence Payment in the last 12 months that have resulted in assessment decision notifications not being issued to claimants.

Home Office

Asylum: Glasgow East

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum seekers are resident in Glasgow East constituency.

Brandon Lewis: Our records indicate that the number of asylum cases awaiting an asylum decision at 31 March 2017 where the latest address is in the Glasgow East constituency is 109.

West Midlands Fire Service

Emma Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has discussed the stay put policy in relation to fires in tower blocks with West Midlands Fire Service since the fire at Grenfell Tower.

Mr Nick Hurd: We have not discussed the Stay Put policy with West Midlands Fire Service. However, online guidance is available on the principle of stay put and how to ensure the fire safety measures in place in a purpose built block of flats are robust enough to support it, at www.local.gov.uk/fire-safety-purpose-built-flats.

Hate Crime

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for the funding of anti-hate crime projects of the UK leaving the EU.

Sarah Newton: The Government takes all hate crime seriously and published a Hate Crime Action Plan in July 2016 which sets out a comprehensive programme of work to drive forward action against hate crime.We are currently assessing the impact of exiting the European Union on projects across Government, including any joint initiatives that we have with the European Union on hate crime.

Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people are currently subject to terrorism prevention and investigation measures.

Mr Ben  Wallace: I refer the honourable member to the answer given on the 27th June 2017 to question UIN 625.

Immigration: EU Nationals

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether it is her policy that EU nationals who have been resident in the UK for five years or more will be granted the same legal rights as British citizens after the UK leaves the EU.

Brandon Lewis: The Government’s policy paper (Cm 9464), which was laid before Parliament on 26 June, proposes that EU citizens who arrive in the UK before the specified date, have five years’ continuous residence and who do not breach the requirements in relation to criminality, public policy and public security, will be able to apply for UK settled status.Being granted settled status will mean EU citizens will be free to reside in any capacity and undertake any lawful activity. We also intend to treat EU citizens with settled status in the same way as if they were UK citizens for the purposes of education, benefits and pensions.The Government undertakes to treat EU citizens who were resident in the UK before the specified date, according to the principles set out in the policy paper in the expectation that the EU will offer reciprocal treatment for UK nationals resident in its member states.Full details of the Government’s proposal are in the policy paper ‘Safeguarding the position of EU citizens in the UK and UK nationals in the EU’, which is available at the following link://www.gov.uk/government/publications/safeguarding-the-position-of-eu-citizens-in-the-uk-and-uk-nationals-in-the-eu

Places of Worship Security Funding Scheme

Tracy Brabin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her oral contribution of 22 June 2017, Official Report, column 211, on terror attacks, whether (a) the requirement for a hate crime to have occurred within two years before a place of worship can apply for security funding has been removed and (b) any new requirements for such applications have been put in place; and when she plans to publish updated application information.

Sarah Newton: On the 22 June, the Home Secretary announced an additional £1 million of funding for places of worship who are vulnerable to attack.The new scheme will not require the applicant to demonstrate that they have been subject to a hate crime attack within the last two years. Full details of the criteria for the scheme and how to apply will be published on GOV.UK in the near future.

Immigration Rules: Married People

John McNally: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will review immigration rules for spouse visas.

Brandon Lewis: The Supreme Court has upheld the lawfulness of the English language and minimum income requirements of the Immigration Rules for spouse visas. The requirements prevent burdens on the taxpayer and promote integration.The Supreme Court agrees that they strike a fair balance between the interests of those wishing to sponsor a non-European Economic Area national spouse to settle in the UK and of the community in general.

South Wales Police

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many armed police officers were trained for deployment in the South Wales Police in (a) 2011-12, (b) 2012-13, (c) 2013-14, (d) 2014-15 and (e) 2015-16.

Mr Nick Hurd: The Home Office annually publishes statistics on the number of authorised firearms officers (AFOs) in the ‘Police use of Firearms statistics, England and Wales’ series. An AFO is a police officer who has been selected, trained, accredited and authorised by their chief officer to carry and use a firearm.The data tables for the latest publication can be found at:www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-use-of-firearms-statistics-england-and-wales-april-2015-to-march-2016-data-tables Table 3 of the data tables gives the number of AFOs by force for the years ending 31 March 2009 to 31 March 2016.The Home Office will publish ‘Police use of Firearms statistics, England and Wales, 1 April 2016 to 31 March 2017’ in July.

Northern Ireland Office

Explosives: Republic of Ireland

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions the Government has had with the Government of the Republic of Ireland on the (a) seizure of substantial amounts of Semtex in Dublin on 3 June 2017, (b) capacity of dissident republican groups to obtaining Semtex and (c) response of An Garda Síochiná to those incidents.

James Brokenshire: The UK Government is resolute in defending the country from terrorism and other threats. I commend An Garda Síochána on their success in seizing a large quantity of plastic explosives which, had it been used, could have caused death or serious injury. I intend to discuss how we can build upon positive work with An Garda Síochána when I next meet the Irish Justice Minister. There is a need for continued vigilance as dissident republican terrorists maintain their lethal intent.

Defamation: Northern Ireland

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will initiate consultation on aligning libel law in Northern Ireland with that in England and Wales; and if he will make a statement.

Chloe Smith: As responsibility for libel law in Northern Ireland is devolved, it would be for the Northern Ireland Executive to determine whether there should be any changes to Northern Ireland libel law.

Department of Health

Paracetamol

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much the NHS has spent in prescribing paracetamol in each of the last five years.

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the cost to the public purse is for a prescription of paracetamol.

Steve Brine: The net ingredient cost of paracetamol items prescribed in the United Kingdom and dispensed in England in each of the last five years is provided in the table below. The cost reported is at reimbursement prices. This does not take account of the margin that pharmacies earn on the medicines they dispense. This margin is subsequently taken into account as contributing towards the target level of funding for community pharmacy as part of the community pharmacy contractual framework. Net Ingredient Cost (NIC) per prescription items of paracetamol dispensed in England in each financial year within British National Formulary 4.7.1 non-opioid analgesics Financial YearNICItemsNIC per Item2012/13£73,793,90621,963,186£3.362013/14£83,146,56722,616,462£3.682014/15£86,884,28123,326,577£3.722015/16£84,863,26922,664,359£3.742016/17£70,187,08821,740,142£3.23Source: Prescription Cost Analysis (PCA)

Mental Health Services: Children and Young People

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to (a) improve mental health provision and (b) support the needs of children and young people.

Jackie Doyle-Price: We are making £1.4 billion available by 2020 to improve the provision of children and young people’s mental health services (CYP MH), including £250 million specifically to tackle eating disorders. This funding is delivering a major system-wide transformation programme to improve access and make services more widely available across the country, and implementing the vision set out in Future in Mind. To this end all clinical commissioning groups working with their partners, developed CYP MH Transformation Plans in 2015/16, incorporating them last year into their wider National Health Service Sustainability and Transformation Plans. These set out how local agencies are working together to improve children and young people’s mental health across the full spectrum of need. Later this year, the Government will publish a Green Paper on Children and Young People’s Mental Health focused on helping our youngest and most vulnerable members of society receive the best start in life. This will make sure best practice is being used consistently and will help to accelerate improvements across all services so that children and young people get the right mix of prevention and specialist support.

Mental Health Services: Per Capita Costs

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much per person the NHS has spent on treating people with mental health conditions in each of the last five years.

Jackie Doyle-Price: Spending on mental health is not reported per head. NHS England will be incorporating a spend per head metric into their Mental Health published information from 2017/18.

Mental Health Services: Standards

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average waiting time is between a patient being diagnosed with a mental health issue and receiving access to counselling and talking therapies.

Jackie Doyle-Price: Average waiting times from referral date to first treatment appointment date are available in the monthly Improving Access to Psychological Therapies publications. These are based on referrals entering treatment in the month, rather than patients, since it is possible for a single person to have more than one referral at any particular time. The latest monthly publication of February 2017 data is available from: http://www.content.digital.nhs.uk/catalogue/PUB24016

Social Workers

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many social workers are directly employed by the NHS in adult social care.

Jackie Doyle-Price: Most social workers are not employed by the National Health Service, however there are a small number who work within the Social Services care setting. As of March 2017 NHS Digital data shows there are 4,144 full time equivalent social workers directly employed by the NHS.

Clinical Commissioning Groups: Staff

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidance his Department provides to clinical commissioning groups regarding workforce planning (a) across the board and (b) for social workers on hospital wards.

Mr Philip Dunne: The Department does not provide guidance for clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) or hospitals on social work workforce planning. Local authorities are responsible for the commissioning of social care services. It is the responsibility of individual employers to ensure they have the right number of staff with the right skills through their workforce planning processes. Health Education England is supporting the workforce elements of the Sustainability and Transformation Plans by establishing Local Workforce Action Boards.

Social Workers

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many social workers are employed in the adult social care sector.

Jackie Doyle-Price: Skills for Care workforce data shows that there are 17,000 social worker job roles in the adult social care sector. This data is as at March 2016 for the independent sector and September 2015 for statutory local authorities.

Social Workers: Private Sector

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many social workers are employed by private adult social care providers carrying out NHS contracts.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The information is not available in the format requested. The National Health Service can only identify social workers who are directly employed by the NHS.

Smoking

Bob Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps the Government is taking to reduce inequalities in health outcomes caused by higher rates of smoking among lower socioeconomic groups.

Steve Brine: As smoking rates in England continue to decline, tobacco use is increasingly concentrated in our poorest and most disadvantaged communities. Local stop smoking services provided by local authorities are effective in reducing health inequalities where they are targeted to meet identified needs. Public Health England (PHE) supports local areas with a range of evidence, data and tools to facilitate targeted and effective interventions recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and have a programme of work focussed on reducing smoking in pregnancy and in mental health settings. In 2017/18, PHE will run the Stoptober and January smoking health harms mass media campaigns, targeted to reach people in lower socioeconomic groups. A national Commissioning for Quality and Innovation (CQUIN) scheme incentivises National Health Service trusts in England to identify inpatients that smoke and provide them with treatment and a referral for support with quitting.

NHS: Finance

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make it his policy to increase NHS spending in line with increases in GDP.

Mr Philip Dunne: The Government is committed to increasing the National Health Service budget to ensure patients can get the care they need. NHS spending will increase by £8 billion in real terms to the end of the Parliament. But the funding of the NHS is inextricably linked to other factors such as the performance of the economy and the impact of Brexit.

Accident and Emergency Departments

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will list accident and emergency departments that the NHS plans to close or downgrade in the next five years.

Mr Philip Dunne: Where a local National Health Service system wishes to propose a significant change to its accident and emergency services in order to improve care for patients, it must engage locally and, where required, formally consult on the case for change. There are longstanding assurance processes in place to make sure this happens.

NHS: Standards

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will ensure that the promises and pledges set out in the NHS Constitution on waiting times are met.

Mr Philip Dunne: National Health Service waiting times standards are set out as rights and pledges in the NHS Constitution and the accompanying Handbook to the NHS Constitution. These must be taken into account by all NHS bodies and providers supplying NHS services. They are also reflected in the Government’s mandate to NHS England for 2017-18, which sets out the objectives set for NHS England, with measurable goals to 2020 and priority deliverables for 2017-18.

Accident and Emergency Departments

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress has been made on meeting the target of introducing front-door clinical streaming in all accident and emergency departments by October 2017.

Mr Philip Dunne: £100 million of capital funding has been made available for primary care streaming in accident and emergency departments. This was confirmed in the budget statement of 8 March 2017. Since then 91 trusts have been successful in bidding for this funding with a total of £76 million allocated. Each of these trusts has confirmed that this will add or increase capacity for clinical streaming. NHS England and NHS Improvement remain committed to have streaming in all emergency departments by October 2017.

NHS: Buildings

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the value of private sector profit that will be generated in each of the next five years as a result of the implementation of the Naylor Review.

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of income to be received by the NHS in each of the next five years as a result of the implementation of the Naylor Review.

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make it a requirement that local trusts consult with staff, patients and the public on the consequences of the implementation of the Naylor Review for local committees.

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the amount of publicly owned land that will be released to the private sector as a result of implementation of the Naylor Review.

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of trends in the number of beds available as a result of the implementation of the Naylor Review.

Mr Philip Dunne: NHS Property and Estates: why the estate matters for patients (the Naylor Review) is an independent report prepared for the Department and published on 31 March 2017. The report is available on the Department’s website at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nhs-property-and-estates-naylor-review Recognising that the estate is critical to the delivery of National Health Service services as well as one of its largest assets and drivers of cost, the Review sets out a number of recommendations for how the NHS estate can be better utilised in a way that both: - supports the delivery of high quality, modern services for patients as envisaged in the NHS’s own plan for change, the Five Year Forward View; and- maximises value for taxpayers by releasing land and buildings that it no longer needs or uses, and reinvesting the proceeds into new or updated facilities that are more suited to the delivery of modern clinical services. The Government is giving careful consideration to the Review’s recommendations and will respond fully in due course. The Department has an existing aim to release land no longer required by the NHS sufficient for 26,000 houses and to generate up to £2 billion of proceeds for reinvestment in healthcare facilities and services. The Review and its recommendations aim to support delivery of this and the Review flagged the longer term potential for going further. It is important to stress that the requirements for beds and other healthcare capacity are driven by local plans developed by sustainability and transformation plans. The Review is focussed on how best to support the development of an estate which meets these needs and supports best value for money for taxpayers through the most efficient use of the NHS estate, including where local clinical plans identify estate that is no longer required for health services. NHS organisations are under a legal duty to consult local people and communities on proposals to make substantial changes to the services that they provide to patients.

Nurses: Pay

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made in the number of nurses as a percentage of the total nursing workforce who are at the top of their agenda for change pay band.

Mr Philip Dunne: The total percentage of nurses and health visitors and midwives at the top of their Agenda for Change band is 47.25%.

Nurses: Labour Turnover

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made in the number of nurses who have left the NHS to work in the private sector in the last three years.

Mr Philip Dunne: The information is not available in the format requested.

NHS

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of Brexit on NHS staffing and finance.

Mr Philip Dunne: The latest NHS Digital data available on nationality shows that at March 2017 there are 61,934 European Union nationals excluding the United Kingdom (EU27) employed in National Health Service trusts and clinical commissioning groups. This is 3,236 more than June 2016 and 1,551 more than December 2016. Brexit will have a limited impact on NHS finances, as we have made a funding commitment for the coming years. The Prime Minister has been clear that she wants to protect the status of EU nationals already living here. It is the Government’s aim to get the best settlement for the UK in all areas including the healthcare system.

NHS: Pay

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make it his policy to end any NHS pay restraints.

Mr Philip Dunne: My Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State has made clear that the support and welfare of National Health Service staff is a top priority as they do a fantastic job. The Government is committed to ensuring they can continue to deliver world-class patient care.At Summer Budget 2015, it was announced that the Government will fund public sector workforces for an average annual pay increase of 1% for the four years from 2016-17 onwards. At the time, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) estimated that this policy will protect 200,000 public sector jobs.

NHS: Reorganisation

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, through what mechanism sustainability and transformation plans will be made accountable to their local communities.

Steve Brine: Sustainability and Transformation Partnerships (STPs) are not statutory organisations, but a new way for the National Health Service and local government to work together. The individual organisations that make up the STPs remain accountable to their local communities, including for these activities performed as part of the STP. When there are proposals to substantially change services, the STP has a duty to consult with their local community. There are longstanding rules to ensure this. NHS Improvement and NHS England are providing resources and guidance to further strengthen the local accountability of STPs, as the NHS and local government work together to develop sensible, deliverable plans. Additionally, the Department and NHS England will shortly be publishing a STP dashboard and assessment of STP performance. Local communities can use this as a mechanism for holding the local NHS to account.

NHS: Reorganisation

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will take steps to require that each sustainability and transformation plan establishes a public-facing website.

Steve Brine: All Sustainability and Transformation Partnership plans have been published online and are available to the public. NHS England has also published a public-facing web page that provides links to each of the plans. This can be found at:https://www.england.nhs.uk/stps/view-stps/

Clinical Commissioning Groups: Pay

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will provide a list of clinical commissioning group chairs and their respective remuneration packages.

Steve Brine: Information on the remuneration of clinical commissioning group (CCG) Chairs is published by individual CCGs and is not collected centrally.

Cerebral Palsy: Medical Treatments

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the number of patients who would potentially benefit from selective dorsal rhizotomy each year.

Steve Brine: NHS England does not currently routinely fund Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDR) due to the limited available evidence of its clinical and cost effectiveness compared to other available treatments and therapies. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence Clinical Guideline 145 recommends that SDR can be considered to improve walking ability in children and young people with spasticity at Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) level II or III. The incidence of cerebral palsy (based on international estimates) is between 150 and 250 per 100,000 live births per year, with about 15% having spastic diplegia and a GMFCS level of II or III. This would equate to between 155 to 258 cases of cerebral palsy with spastic diplegia and a GMFCS level of II or III who might be considered for SDR in England per year.

NHS: Reorganisation

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will take steps to require all sustainability and transformation plans to include a needs analysis.

Steve Brine: Sustainability and Transformation Partnerships (STPs) are not statutory organisations, but a new way for the National Health Service and local government to work together. Originally, every STP’s plan was based on their assessment of the health and prevention needs of their area’s population, as well as the financial envelope they operate in. This was set out in the Planning Guidance published by NHS England in December 2015. In any significant reconfiguration decision taken, STPs are required to ensure they meet the four reconfiguration tests, including the need for clear, clinical evidence to underpin any decision taken to help ensure the needs of the local population are met.

NHS: Reorganisation

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will take steps to require all sustainability and transformation plans to include an equality impact analysis.

Steve Brine: Sustainability and Transformation Partnerships (STPs) are intended to bring together local National Health Service organisations, working together to address the health needs of their area. As part of that, STPs are required to consider equalities, including any impact as a result of any decision taken. Individual organisations within the STP continue to have statutory duties to reduce inequalities. When there are proposals to substantially change services, the STP has a duty to consult with their local community. There are longstanding rules to ensure this, including the requirement to produce an equality impact analysis.

NHS: Reorganisation

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will take steps to require all sustainability and transformation plans to include a detailed workforce plan.

Steve Brine: Sustainability and Transformation Partnerships (STPs) are intended to bring together local National Health Service organisations, to work together to address the health needs of the local area. As part of that, it is important that STPs consider the needs of their local footprint, and in some areas that will include workforce. Many STP areas have already published detailed workforce requirements as part of their plan. Health Education England is responsible for ensuring that there is a sufficient future supply of staff to meet workforce requirements, and have published 2015-20 workforce estimates to inform this. This information is available in the following document:https://hee.nhs.uk/sites/default/files/documents/HEE%20commissioning%20and%20investment%20plan.pdf

NHS: Reorganisation

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will require all sustainability and transformation plans to make an assessment of the impact of the UK leaving the EU on future staffing levels in the NHS.

Steve Brine: The Department is undertaking analysis of overall staffing levels across the National Health Service as a result of the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union and the future immigration system as part of our workforce planning. The Department and its arm’s length bodies, including NHS England, are working to ensure as smooth as possible a path to any new arrangements which might affect the health service and our patients. As Brexit negotiations continue, the Department and its arm’s length bodies will continue to support the health system’s preparation for Brexit, to ensure the NHS continues to function, and is able to deliver the services that patients rely on.

Organs: Donors

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what information his Department holds on the change in the level of organ donations in Wales since the introduction of an opt-out system in that country.

Jackie Doyle-Price: Organ donation policy is a devolved matter. NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) collects data on organ donation and transplantation across the United Kingdom. The latest activity data for Wales can be found in full on NHSBT’s website. The following table shows there has been no notable change in Welsh deceased donation figures since the change in legislation on 1 December 2015: Country of hospital of donor death2014/152015/162016/17Wales606461 NHSBT’s statistical analysis indicates that, due to small numbers of donors in Wales, it may be three or four years before there are sufficient numbers to provide enough evidence to determine the true impact of the change in legislation.

Organs: Donors

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Answer of 27 April 2017 to Question 71709, on organs: donors, if he will introduce a system of deemed consent for organ and tissue donation in England.

Jackie Doyle-Price: On 1 December 2015, Wales introduced deemed consent (opt-out) for organ and tissue donation. We will monitor closely how the changes in the law on consent in Wales affect donation rates. Since the launch of the United Kingdom-wide Taking Organ Transplantation to 2020 Strategy in 2013, organ donation rates have increased by 7% and transplant rates by 6% mainly through a strengthening of the donation infrastructure (e.g. increased specialist nurses, improved retrieval arrangements). In 2016-17, the UK had the highest ever deceased donor and transplant rates with 1,413 deceased donors resulting in 3,712 transplants.

Dudley Clinical Commissioning Group: Contracts

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what experience members of Dudley Clinical Commissioning Group management team have of tendering 15-year contracts.

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will meet the hon. Member for Dudley North and representatives of that parliamentary constituency to discuss the new contract proposed by Dudley Clinical Commissioning Group for a multi-speciality community provider.

Steve Brine: The Dudley team consists of staff representing the disciplines of commissioning, procurement, contracting, finance and analytics. Between them, they have in excess of 100 years’ experience of the commissioning process and of managing a full range of primary, secondary, community, mental health, learning disability and voluntary sector contracts and procurements. They have also incorporated appropriate external expert advice in relation to: public health, law, governance, procurement and finance. In addition to this, NHS England has provided the Dudley team with an intensive support programme, which was set up to support the commissioning of new care models and to design the new standard National Health Service contract for this purpose. The capacity and capability of the team was tested during Checkpoint 1 of the NHS England/NHS Improvement Integrated Support and Assurance Process (ISAP) and green rated. The ISAP was established specifically to deal with complex and novel procurements of this nature. Their actions will be further tested at Checkpoints 2 and 3 of the ISAP in order to ensure that the process they have gone through is sound and that a sustainable contract is established. The clinical commissioning groups (CCG) undertook a full public consultation last summer to inform the development of the multi-speciality community contract. In addition, a series of meetings with all Dudley CCGs’ local MPs is in the process of being arranged to discuss the new contract.I would be happy to meet the hon. Member for Dudley North to discuss these proposals.

Neuromuscular Disorders

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proposals he has made to ensure that patients do not experience delays in accessing emerging treatments for muscle-wasting conditions after the UK leaves the EU.

Steve Brine: The Government wants patients to access cost-effective innovative medicines and technologies, which may include emerging treatments for muscle-wasting conditions, at a price that the National Health Service can afford. That is why we commissioned the Accelerated Access Review, which reported in October last year. We are considering the review’s recommendations and will respond in due course. As part of the exit negotiations the Government will discuss with the European Union and Member States how best to continue cooperation on medicine research and development and regulation in the best interests of both the United Kingdom and the EU. It would not be appropriate to pre-judge the outcome of the negotiations, but we are clear that whatever happens NHS patients should have access to cost-effective life-changing treatments as soon as possible.

Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people have been diagnosed with the condition known as runner's knee over the last five years.

Steve Brine: This information is not available.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to encourage people with chronic fatigue syndrome to exercise each day.

Steve Brine: In 2007 the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) produced the best practice clinical guideline, Chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (or encephalopathy): Diagnosis and management of CFS/ME in adults and children. The guideline, last reviewed in 2013, sets out best practice on the diagnosis, treatment care and support of children and adults with CFS/ME and supports local National Health Service commissioners and clinicians in the delivery of services.The NICE guideline makes recommendations on the use of Graded Exercise Therapy (GET) in patients mildly or moderately affected by CFS/ME. GET is a structured exercise programme designed to gradually increase how long someone can carry out a physical activity. It should be tailored to a person's current level of activities and should be delivered only by a suitably trained GET therapist with experience in CFS/ME under appropriate clinical supervision. The guideline also acknowledges that there is no one form of treatment to suit every patient and that treatment and care should take into account the personal needs and preferences of the patient. The guideline can be found at the following link:www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg53/resources/chronic-fatigue-syndromemyalgic-encephalomyelitis-or-encephalopathy-diagnosis-and-management-pdf-975505810885To ensure its recommendations reflect the latest available evidence, NICE is currently reviewing its guidance to see if an update is required. A decision is expected shortly.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Musculoskeletal Disorders: Research

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will take steps to ensure continued UK participation in EU research programmes into musculoskeletal conditions after the UK leaves the EU.

Joseph Johnson: Science and research are vital to our country’s prosperity, security and wellbeing. This Government wants the UK to be the go-to place for innovators and investors across the world, and we intend to secure the best possible outcome for the UK research base as we exit the European Union. We would welcome an agreement to continue to collaborate with our European partners on major science, research, and technology initiatives. We will be approaching the negotiations on this basis. However it is too early to speculate on the UK’s future relationship with specific EU research programmes, including Horizon 2020 and successor programmes. Whatever happens in the future, the Government is committed to ensuring the UK remains a world leader in international research and innovation, including research into musculoskeletal conditions.

Industry: Scotland

Stephen Kerr: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions his Department has had with representatives of the Scottish Government on his Department's Industrial Strategy green paper.

Claire Perry: This Government is committed to building an Industrial Strategy that works for all of the UK, to drive growth and prosperity across the country. In the green paper my Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy issued an invitation to Ministers in the Devolved Administrations to take part in Ministerial forums to address productivity barriers and to ensure that economic plans and strategies closely align to benefit citizens in the devolved nations. The first of these forums with the Scottish Government took place on the 11th April and has been supported by a series of ongoing discussions at official level.

Green Investment Bank: Termination of Employment

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Answer of 7 February 2017 to Question 62846, if he will provide updated figures on the number of staff departures from the UK Green Investment Bank up to 12 June 2017.

Claire Perry: Further to the Answer of 7 February to Question 62846, the Green Investment Bank (GIB) has provided the following updated information: Number of staff employed by GIB*:During financial year ending 31 March 2017 – 124 In the period 1 April 2017 to 12 June 2017 – 115  Number of employees exiting**:During the financial year ending 31 March 2017 – 17In the period 1 April 2017 to 12 June 2017 – 10  *Headcount numbers reported as per the People section of GIB’s latest annual report.**The leavers noted are those individuals who were permanent employees and fixed term contract employees who decided leave ahead of the agreed end date noted in their contract. It does not include temporary staff or those individuals who completed a fixed term contract and left on the agreed end date as detailed within their contract.

Trade Union Recognition: Linlithgow and East Falkirk

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of companies which do not recognise trades unions in (a) the Linlithgow and East Falkirk constituency, (b) Scotland and (c) the UK.

Margot James: It is the role of the Central Arbitration Committee (CAC) to determine applications by trade unions to be statutorily recognised by an employer for collective bargaining purposes. The CAC publishes an annual report detailing its activities over the past year. This can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cac-annual-reports Where a trade union can demonstrate that it has majority support in the workplace for recognition, the CAC will award statutory recognition for collective bargaining purposes.

Flexible Working

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate he has made of the number of statutory flexible working requests made in (a) Linlithgow and East Falkirk constituency, (b) Scotland and (c) the UK in each year since 2014.

Margot James: We do not routinely collect data on the number of statutory flexible working requests. The Right to Request Flexible Working Regulations were introduced in 2014 and we plan to evaluate their impact in 2019.

Green Investment Bank: Privatisation

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will publish the cost-benefit analysis conducted for the sale of the Green Investment Bank.

Claire Perry: The Government has followed best practice in the sale of Green Investment Bank (GIB) including preparation of detailed business cases assessing the options available. The sale of GIB to Macquarie meets the Governments objectives for this process including securing value for money for taxpayers. The Government will provide a full report to Parliament on the sale of the Green Investment Bank on completion of the transaction.

Companies: Registration

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will take steps to strengthen identification requirements, including proof of address, for businesses registering with Companies House.

Margot James: The Government is committed to creating an environment that supports business, by striking the right balance between effective corporate transparency and the ease of doing business. Consistent with this, Companies House focuses on improving the quality of data on the register through post-registration investigation and enforcement rather than the introduction of identification requirements.

Fracking

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the Government's policy is on fracking.

Richard Harrington: Shale gas could create a new British industry, provide more jobs and make us less reliant on imports from abroad. The UK has over 50 years’ experience regulating the onshore oil and gas industry, and the Government supports safe and environmentally sound exploration to determine the potential of the UK’s shale gas resources.

Energy: Prices

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the Government intends to introduce a cap on energy prices.

Richard Harrington: The Government is committed to extending price protection currently in place for some vulnerable customers to more customers on the poorest value tariffs. My rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State has written to the CEO of Ofgem to ask what action the regulator intends to take to safeguard customers on these tariffs. I will consider how to proceed in light of their response.

Carrington Power Station

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department has received representations from Duro Felguero UK Ltd on the payment of contractors involved in the construction of Carrington Power Station.

Richard Harrington: The Department was made aware in early April that Duro Felguera’s UK subsidiary had gone into liquidation. Officials were in touch with Duro Felguera at that time to ascertain the situation, but it is the role of the appointed liquidator to secure the best result for the creditors. A creditors’ meeting was held on April 12th.

Electric Vehicles

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what support his Department provides to local authorities to increase the roll-out of charging points for electric vehicles.

Claire Perry: The Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) ‘On-street Residential Scheme’ is providing up to £2.5m for Local Authorities to fund the installation of chargepoints in residential streets where homeowners have no access to off-street parking. £22.9m is being provided to Local Authorities for electric vehicle infrastructure through OLEV’s ‘Go Ultra Low Cities’ scheme and a further £14m through their ultra low emission taxis scheme. Between 2010 and 2014 more than 6400 chargepoints were installed in 8 local authority regions though the Plugged in Places support scheme. Between 2013 and 2015, following a competitive bidding process open to all UK Local Authorities, more than 580 fast chargepoints and 250 rapid chargepoints were installed under the National Infrastructure Grant Schemes.

Electric Vehicles

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the cost to the public purse has been of installing charging points for electric vehicles in each year since 2010.

Claire Perry: Please find below a breakdown of funding provided by the Government’s Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) to support the installation of electric vehicle chargepoints in each financial year since 2010/11: Financial YearTotal OLEV Spend2010/11£2.23m2011/12£2.58m2012/13£9.71m2013/14£14.86m2014/15£41.65m2015/16£16.88m2016/17£7.06m In addition, £22.9m of funding under the Government’s £40m Go Ultra Low City Scheme is for charging infrastructure, and is being awarded across four years from 2016.

Electric Vehicles

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many charging points for electric vehicles there are in (a) Wales, (b) England, (c) Scotland and (d) Northern Ireland at the latest date for which information is available.

Claire Perry: Public chargepoints funded by the Office for Low Emission Vehicles must be registered on the Government’s National Chargepoint Registry, an open source data set containing information on the type and geographical location of chargepoints. The registry is available online at: www.national-charge-point-registry.uk Operators of public chargepoints can also choose to add other chargepoints to this dataset. The Automated and Electric Vehicles Bill is due to include new powers that could require operators of public chargepoints to make openly available key information about all chargepoints that they operate, including geographic location.The current dataset from the National Chargepoint Registry shows the following statistics for chargepoints in the UK: Wales - 37England - 4909Scotland - 997Northern Ireland - 346 Additional chargepoints will also have been installed with support from the private sector that are not listed on this data set but can be found on websites such as Zapmap (www.zap-map.com)

Electric Vehicles

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans his Department has to ensure that the roll-out of charging stations for electric vehicles is spread evenly across all regions and parts of the UK.

Claire Perry: The Government is supporting an increase in provision of electric vehicle chargepoints as part of its programme for ultra low emission vehicles (ULEVs). At Autumn Statement 2016, the Chancellor announced additional funding of £80m for charging infrastructure for the period to 2020 and Government is considering how best to allocate this funding to meet the needs of drivers across the UK and deliver value for money. Alongside this, Highways England has £15m to expand the existing rapid chargepoint network to ensure that across 95 per cent of the strategic road network there will be a chargepoint at least every 20 miles. In addition, the Government is proposing to take forward powers under the forthcoming Automated and Electric Vehicles Bill that will enable the Government to require Motorway Service Areas, and large fuel retailers to install sufficient provision of electric vehicle chargepoints. Additional grant funding is also available UK-wide to support the installation of chargepoints at workplaces, at homes, and on residential streets. Further detail of how to apply is available online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/government-grants-for-low-emission-vehicles

Regional Growth Fund

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assistance from the Regional Growth Fund is available to companies based in England; and if he will make a statement.

Margot James: The Regional Growth Fund (RGF) was established in 2011 and ran over six competitive rounds supporting a wide range of individual company projects, as well as both national and regional business support schemes. The RGF is on track to deliver £16bn of private sector investment and 557,000 jobs by the mid-2020s.

Tidal Lagoons Independent Review

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when he plans to respond to the Hendry Review.

Richard Harrington: The Government is currently assessing the recommendations of the Hendry Review and will publish a response in due course.

Coal Fired Power Stations

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when his Department will publish its response to the consultation Coal generation in Great Britain, published in November 2016; and if he will make a statement.

Richard Harrington: On 9 November 2016, we launched a consultation on world-leading plans to end electricity generation from unabated coal by 2025. The consultation ended on 8 February and we are currently considering the contributions received. A response to the consultation will be published in due course.

Borough Market

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will meet Borough Market traders affected by the recent terrorist attack to discuss their business needs.

Margot James: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 28 June 2017 to Question UIN 1002.

Ministry of Defence

Armed Forces: Pay

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make representations to the Treasury to (a) lift the public pay sector cap and (b) allow the Armed Forces Pay Review Body to make recommendations on pay rises without that pay gap restriction.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: Defence Ministers have regular discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer covering a wide range of topics including pay. The independent Armed Forces' Pay Review Body (AFPRB) provides advice annually to the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Defence on pay levels for members of the Armed Forces. In reaching their recommendations the AFPRB consider a number of factors. These are laid out in their terms of reference, published at the beginning of each of their annual reports.

Stonehouse Barracks

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans his Department has to ensure that memorials located in the Stonehouse Barracks in Plymouth which are dedicated to Royal Marines who died serving their country will be preserved and protected.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The Ministry of Defence is aware of the significance of the memorials located in the Stonehouse Barracks in Plymouth.The Department will work closely with the Local Authority and other statutory bodies throughout the process of the sale to ensure that the memorials are preserved and protected.

Ministry of Defence: Wrexham

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assistance will be provided for his Department's staff currently working at Wrexham following the decision to move operations to Bristol; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: All personnel affected by this Army 2020 (Refine) reorganisation of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Reserves will be individually supported in accordance with Departmental policy and processes.Regular Army personnel will be relocated with the unit or re-assigned to other Army units. Army Reservists will be assisted to transfer to other local Reserve units - including the Royal Welsh Regiment who share the Wrexham Army Reserve Centre.Civilian staff will be managed in accordance with normal Departmental policy and procedure for redeployment within the terms of their mobility obligation. They will be supported by their line management and will be allocated a people change advisor to assist them with finding alternative positions. Affected civilian staff will also have access have to Ministry of Defence outplacement services if appropriate.

Military Bases: Scotland

Stewart Malcolm McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make it his Department's policy to reconsider the closure of eight military bases in Scotland.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: There are no plans to reconsider the Ministry of Defence's intent to close eight military bases in Scotland. Consolidating the estate in Scotland enables us to release sites which do not effectively accommodate the military capabilities based there, and invest in significantly improved facilities to better support the men and women of our Armed Forces.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Change of Use: Chipping Barnet

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effect of the use of permitted development rules in Chipping Barnet constituency.

Mr Marcus Jones: Permitted development rights are a national grant of planning permission allowing certain development to take place without having to make a planning application. They support housing delivery, help householders improve their homes and facilitate infrastructure, including improvements to telecommunications. The Department publishes data for each local authority area on the number of applications and permissions.[1] No assessment has been made of the effect of the use of permitted development rights in Chipping Barnet.[1] Table PDR 1: District planning authorities - applications for prior approvals for permitted developments, by local planning authority https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-planning-application-statistics

High Rise Flats: Fire Extinguishers

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate the Government has made of the average cost per flat of retrofitting sprinkler systems for fire safety in tower blocks.

Mr Marcus Jones: No central assessment has been carried out. The costs will vary widely based on the size and age of buildings. Local authorities may have commissioned separate assessments into the costs involved following the Government’s request in 2013 to social housing providers that they consider installing sprinklers into older residential tower blocks.

Urban Areas: Regeneration

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will make available funding for the renewal and redevelopment of high streets.

Jake Berry: This Government is committed to supporting our high streets. We have confirmed the permanent doubling of Small Business Rate Relief, meaning that 600,000 small businesses now pay no business rates at all; we launched the High Street pledge and a digital high street pilot scheme; and we are celebrating our high streets through the hugely successful Great British High Street Awards.High streets can benefit from funding that we have made available for local economic development, including the Coastal Communities Fund, which has invested over £132 million in 131 coastal projects across England since 2012. The Government has also awarded £9.1 billion to Local Enterprise Partnerships in Growth Deals since 2014.We are working with Local Enterprise Partnerships to strengthen their role in town centres and coastal communities, and collaborating with the Local Government Association to assist local authorities in supporting their high streets.

Buildings: Fire Hazards

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what fire risk assessments have been carried out on the use of polystyrene ceiling tiles; and whether this product should be removed from the market.

Mr Marcus Jones: Unmodified polystyrene ceiling tiles do not comply with Part B of the Building Regulations (fire) and should not be used in new buildings.

Right to Buy Scheme

Stephen McPartland: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what plans he has to extend the right to buy to Low Start Shared Ownership schemes; and if he will make a statement.

Alok Sharma: Holding answer received on 27 June 2017



Under the statutory Right to Buy, people are not eligible who already own a share of their home, including those who purchased their home under Low Start Shared Ownership.Shared owners can ask their landlords to use the powers given by section 32 of Part II of the Housing Act 1985 to offer them a discount on a further share of their home. It is at the landlord’s discretion whether to offer such a discount.

Right to Buy Scheme

Stephen McPartland: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what plans he has to extend right to buy to local authority-owned garages; and if he will make a statement.

Alok Sharma: Holding answer received on 27 June 2017



Local authority tenants who have garages included in their secured tenancy have the right to buy their garage when they exercise the Right to Buy. If a garage is not in the tenancy the landlord may decide whether to sell.

Local Enterprise Partnerships: Pay

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will publish the names and full remuneration packages of each local enterprise partnership chair and chief officer for the last three years.

Jake Berry: Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEP) are independent bodies, supported by an accountable local authority. The terms of the arrangement for each LEP’s assurance and transparency is agreed between the LEP and its accountable body. Government ensures uniform standards are met through the National LEP Assurance Framework. Each LEP will set its own terms for remuneration, and their decision to publish the names and remuneration packages of senior staff is determined locally.

Housing: Construction

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will change building regulations to make it compulsory for new buildings to be self-sufficient in energy through the fitting of solar panels; and if he will make a statement.

Alok Sharma: Holding answer received on 27 June 2017



New buildings are required to be energy efficient. New buildings are now required to be 30 per cent more energy efficient than they were in 2010. The technologies used to meet these standards are not prescribed. The government will keep these requirements under review.

High Rise Flats: Fire Prevention

Liz McInnes: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what discussions he has had with the Fire and Rescue Services on the retro-fitting of sprinkler systems in residential tower blocks.

Alok Sharma: Holding answer received on 27 June 2017



My Department has been holding regular discussions with representatives of the fire and rescue services on a wide range of fire safety matters. These discussions have been reflected in the advice provided on 22 June to local authorities and housing associations on interim mitigating measures.

High Rise Flats: Fire Prevention

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether the Government's undertaking to test cladding in high-rise residential tower blocks will extend to other tall buildings including those occupied by (a) hospitals and (b) businesses.

Alok Sharma: Holding answer received on 27 June 2017



Testing in residential tower blocks is well underway. Local authorities and housing associations have been instructed to submit samples of Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) cladding for testing. We have also alerted owners, landlords and managers of private sector residential blocks, and made the testing facility available to them.We are initiating testing in other priority buildings across the public sector, including NHS Trust and Foundation Trust buildings. We are prioritising testing on buildings where people sleep overnight, which have ACM cladding and are of a certain height. We will identify further priorities for testing in the coming days.All building owners are responsible for ensuring the safety of their buildings.

Neighbourhood Development Plans

James Cartlidge: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to reform the way in which Neighbourhood Plans can be amended by (a) parish councils and (b) other sponsoring community groups; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Marcus Jones: Over 2,100 communities have started the process of creating or have created a neighbourhood plan since 2012. The Neighbourhood Planning Act 2017 will further strengthen neighbourhood planning, including reforms to make the process for neighbourhood planning groups to modify ‘made’ neighbourhood plans or orders proportionate to the changes proposed.

Local Government Finance

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which programmes his Department currently funds will have their funding affected by the UK leaving the EU.

Jake Berry: The Department is responsible for the management of the England European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) programme.The Government announced in October 2016 that it will guarantee EU funding for European Structural and Investment (ESI) Funds projects that are signed before the UK's departure from the EU and which provide good value for money and support domestic priorities, even when these projects continue after we have left the EU. The England ERDF programme is covered by this guarantee.As a result, British businesses and other organisations have additional certainty and can continue to apply for EU funding while the UK remains a member of the EU.

Housing: Greater London

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to introduce restrictions on the overseas ownership of new properties in London; and if he will make a statement.

Alok Sharma: Holding answer received on 27 June 2017



The Government currently has no plans to introduce restrictions on overseas ownership of new properties in London or elsewhere in the country, but will keep the issue under review.

Housing: Cooperatives

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what his Department's policy is for the provision of additional co-operative housing; and if he will make a statement.

Alok Sharma: Holding answer received on 27 June 2017



This Government recognises the important role housing co-operatives can play in delivering locally led and innovative housing.The Community Housing Fund announced in December 2016 allocated £60 million to local authorities to support the community-led housing sector, including housing co-operatives. We have also encouraged community led groups, including housing co-operatives, to apply for funding from the £7.1 billion Shared Ownership and Affordable Homes Programme 2016-21, which will deliver 225,000 affordable homes by March 2021.

Housing: Sales

Conor McGinn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what plans his Department has to review regulations on the purchase of (a) leasehold properties and (b) the sale of freeholds to third parties by property developers.

Alok Sharma: Holding answer received on 27 June 2017



The Government identified that tackling onerous ground rents and leasehold houses were priorities in the Housing White Paper.We are also working closely with the Law Commission on leasehold reform, building on their 13th programme of law reform consultation which had a significant response – over 1,000 submissions – on residential leasehold.We are reviewing issues relating to leasehold and will provide further information shortly.

Community Infrastructure Levy

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many investors who have brought back into use derelict town centre premises have been subject to the community infrastructure levy since it was was introduced.

Alok Sharma: Holding answer received on 27 June 2017



Central Government does not collect this information. Local authorities are responsible for collecting the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) and must report annually on the income received and how it is spent.This Government is committed to supporting our high streets. CIL is specifically designed to ensure it does not act as a disincentive to re-use and redevelop empty buildings. Buildings returned to their former use generally do not pay CIL. Buildings re-developed for a new use may also not be charged CIL, subject to meeting certain requirements. This includes buildings in town centre locations.

Garden Communities

Stephen McPartland: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to encourage local authorities to consider new garden cities or villages within their local plan process; and if he will make a statement.

Alok Sharma: Following the publication of prospectuses in April 2014 and March 2016 inviting expressions of interest, the government is supporting twenty-four garden villages, towns and cities across England, with the potential for over 200,000 new homes.The National Planning Policy Framework sets out that supply of new homes can sometimes be best achieved through planning for larger scale development, such as new settlements or extensions to existing villages and towns that follow the principles of Garden Cities. Working with the support of their communities, local planning authorities should consider whether such opportunities provide the best way of achieving sustainable development.We have made clear that, following consultation on changes to the National Planning Policy Framework, we will amend policy to encourage a more proactive approach by authorities to bring forward new settlements in their plans.

Local Government: Redundancy Pay

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what plans he has to update the Local Government Redundancy Modification Order; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Marcus Jones: DCLG administers the Local Government Redundancy Modification Order on behalf of the UK Government and the devolved administrations in Scotland and Wales.The Redundancy Modification Order remains under review. My officials will update relevant organisations in due course.

Local Government: Redundancy Pay

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to devolve administration of the Local Government Redundancy Modification Order to the Scottish Parliament; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Marcus Jones: My officials are in contact with their counterparts in the Scotland Office regarding this matter.

High Rise Flats: Hornsey and Wood Green

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what information his Department holds on residential tower blocks in Hornsey and Wood Green constituency which are clad in flammable substances.

Alok Sharma: The Department for Communities and Local Government has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Local Government Finance

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the change in the core spending power of (a) Newcastle City Council and (b) local authorities in England has been in each year since 2010-11.

Mr Marcus Jones: The definition of spending power has changed over the period 2010-11 to 2019-20, with core spending power being first introduced at the 2016-17 Local Government Finance Settlement. The changes in definition mean that combining these year on year changes to calculate an overall change for the period 2010-11 to 2019-20 is not meaningful. Information on core spending power for the period 2011-2020 is available at the following links:http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20140505110052/http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/1112/grant.htmhttp://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20140505110056/http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/1213/grant.htmhttp://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20140505104701/http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/1314/settle.htmhttps://www.gov.uk/government/collections/final-local-government-finance-settlement-england-2014-to-2015https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/change-in-spending-power-final-local-government-finance-settlement-2015-to-2016https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/final-local-government-finance-settlement-england-2017-to-2018

Local Government Finance

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how he plans to ensure that local authorities in England are able to fund their (a) statutory and (b) non-statutory responsibilities after the Revenue Support Grant has ended.

Mr Marcus Jones: The Government periodically assesses resourcing requirements for local government as part of each spending review, ensuring a sustainable basis for local authorities to discharge their functions. This assessment is made irrespective of the funding mechanisms employed.

Non-domestic Rates

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to reintroduce the provisions contained in the Local Government Finance Bill 2016-17 for the full retention of business rates by local authorities in England; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Marcus Jones: We remain committed to giving local government greater control over the money they raise, in line with our manifesto pledge. We will shortly start discussions with local government and business stakeholders about the best way to do this.

HM Treasury

Taxation: Football

Frank Field: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will estimate the amount of revenue lost to the Exchequer as a result of professional football players and managers concealing income from image rights; and what steps he is taking to prevent that practice.

Mel Stride: There are no specific estimates of concealed income from image rights payments. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) undertakes compliance activity to ensure that football clubs, players and managers pay the correct amount of tax. Since 2014-15 HMRC has brought in over £260m from tackling non-compliance in the football industry. HMRC is currently investigating 67 footballers, 39 football clubs and 13 agents for a range of issues including image rights abuse.

Tobacco: Smuggling

Chris Ruane: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the average length of sentence for a conviction for the illegal sale of tobacco was in each of the last 10 years.

Mel Stride: Prosecutions for illegal tobacco can be brought for a range of offences from dealing in illicit product, on which UK duty has not been paid, to breaches of the Department of Health’s regulations for tobacco control. The government does not break down statistics on convictions for illegal tobacco to separate out those solely resulting from sales activity.

Tobacco: Smuggling

Chris Ruane: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps are being taken to strengthen sentences for people convicted of the sale of illegal tobacco.

Mel Stride: Prosecutions for illegal tobacco can be brought for a range of offences from dealing in illicit product, on which UK duty has not been paid, to breaches of the Department of Health’s regulations for tobacco control. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is responsible for combatting illicit tobacco. The joint HMRC/Border Force strategy ('Tackling Illicit Tobacco: From leaf to light') ‎published on 24 March 2015 reflected the need to continue to strengthen the approach to deal with this problem in the UK and internationally. This strategy included a commitment to work with other enforcement agencies to maximise the effective use of all the sanctions available across government and to consider introducing tougher sanctions. HMRC is currently considering the responses to its consultation on sanctions to tackle illicit tobacco, and potentially other excise duty fraud, which closed on 12 May. To reinforce this commitment, at Summer Budget 2015 the government announced measures to increase HMRC’s capacity to investigate and prosecute organised crime groups dealing in illicit tobacco by 50%.

European Investment Bank

Ian Murray: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will take steps to ensure that Scotland remains eligible for, and retains access to, European Investment Bank funding after the UK leaves the EU.

Elizabeth Truss: The future relationship between the UK and the EIB is something that will be determined as part of the negotiations on the UK’s exit from the EU and the Government will not be giving a running commentary on these negotiations. The EIB publishes details of all their projects on their website. Financing details of all projects, including those in Scotland, for each of the past 10 years can be found in the link below http://www.eib.org/projects/loan/list/?region=1&country=GB As part of the ongoing work on the UKs exit from the EU, HMT has been assessing the contribution EIB finance makes to the UK economy. In his Mansion House speech on 20 June, the Chancellor said that; “The European Investment Bank, and its offshoot, the European Investment Fund, have been an important source of funding for infrastructure investment and for growth businesses.”

Carers: Scotland

Ian Murray: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether kinship carers in Scotland who do not receive a fee for the role they perform and receive kinship care allowance from a local authority are required to register as self-employed.

Mel Stride: Kinship care is a form of foster care and where individuals are receiving allowances from local authorities in return for providing the care, they will be self-employed and will need to register with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). Qualifying care relief will be available in relation to the allowance paid by the local authority. HMRC has published guidance on Gov.uk to help kinship carers: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/qualifying-care-relief-foster-carers-adult-placement-carers-kinship-carers-and-staying-put-carers-hs236-self-assessment-helpsheet/hs236-qualifying-care-relief-foster-carers-adult-placement-carers-kinship-carers-and-staying-put-carers-2015

Bank Services: Closures

Tonia Antoniazzi: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that the banking industry complies with the Access to Banking protocol; and what steps the Government has taken to ensure such compliance since that protocol was introduced in May 2015.

Stephen Barclay: Decisions on the opening and closing of individual bank branches are taken by the management team of each bank on a commercial basis without intervention from Government. While banks and building societies need to balance customer interests, market competition, and other commercial factors when considering their strategy, the Government is pleased to see that the industry is committing to further improvements to protect those affected by branch closures. For this reason, the Government welcomed the industry-wide Access to Banking Protocol and Professor Russel Griggs’ independent ‘one year on’ review, published last November. Building on this, the new Access to Banking Standard came into effect on 1 May. The Standard commits banks to ensure customers are better informed about branch closures and the reasons for them closing, along with the options they have locally to continue to access banking services, including specialist assistance for customer who need more help.

Child Tax Credit

Tracy Brabin: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many women have claimed an exemption to the two-child limit on tax credits for a child born as a result of non-consensual conception since the introduction of that limit and that exemption.

Elizabeth Truss: We recognise that the exception is a difficult and sensitive issue, and have therefore set up procedures that are mindful of the sensitivities involved. We continue to monitor this exception carefully to ensure that it is working as intended. The policy started on 6 April 2017 and sufficient quality assured data is not availble at this stage.

Debts

Rachel Reeves: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of changes in the level of unsecured debt over the last two years.

Stephen Barclay: It is now at 40% (Q4 2016), compared with 37% two years ago and 44% before the financial crisis (2007 Q1). The Financial Policy Committee’s most recent assessment shows how it intends to monitor and mitigate risks related to household debt in its June 2017 Financial Stability Report.

Department for International Trade

Israel: Trade Agreements

Paul Masterton: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps the Government is taking to increase trade between Scotland and Israel; and what potential opportunities there will be for that trading relationship after the UK has left the EU.

Mark Garnier: The value of trade in goods between Scotland and Israel was £120 million in 2016 (source: HM Revenue and Customs Regional Trade Statistics Database).Israel is an important trading partner for the UK and we are committed to strengthening the trade relationship with Israel.Israel currently has an Association Agreement with the EU on trade and we have established a UK-Israel working group to continue the progress we have seen to date, and to prepare the ground for a Post-Brexit trade agreement.

Women and Equalities

Religious Freedom

Jim Shannon: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what the Government's policy is on protecting the right of (a) Christians and (b) people of other religious beliefs to wear or carry religious symbols in public.

Nick Gibb: The Government believes that both Christians and people of other religious beliefs should be able to wear or carry religious symbols in public so long as they act within the boundaries of the law while doing so.

Department for Transport

Regional Airports

Kate Hollern: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to support regional airports.

Mr John Hayes: The Government is committed to developing a new Aviation Strategy and we will be setting out our proposed approach in due course.

Travel: Concessions

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has made an estimate of the potential cost to extend entitlement to free travel passes to women born in the 1950s who have yet to reach state pension age.

Jesse Norman: In addition to providing support to those with a disability, the original intention of the English national concessionary bus pass scheme was to help people maintain their independence in retirement. Concessions are therefore not aimed at people considered to be of working age and in April 2010 the concession was specifically aligned for both men and women to the Department for Work and Pensions’ State Pension Age. Local authorities have the discretion to offer concessions over and above the statutory minimum to their residents as they see fit.

Kites

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to monitor and control kite-fighting contests.

Mr John Hayes: Permission is required from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to fly a kite above 60m, in accordance with Article 92 of the Air Navigation Order 2016. The CAA has a dedicated page on its website containing guidance on the rules and regulations relating to kite flying in the UK. The CAA intends to shortly commence an email campaign directed at UK kite associations, organisations and clubs with information on the existing regulations relating to kite flying and the CAA permissions process.

Public Transport: Apprentices

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his policy is on bus and train travel for apprentices.

Jesse Norman: The Government is implementing apprenticeship reforms to continue to improve the quality of apprenticeships for all, providing the skills that employers need to reach our commitment of 3 million starts in England by 2020. The Government has also expressed a desire that it does not want the costs of travel to deter young people, and so the Department (in discussion with the Department for Education) has started exploring options for travel for apprentices.

Motor Vehicles: Hire Services

Mr Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to change the eligibility criteria for people seeking to rent large cars, vans and HGVs.

Jesse Norman: The eligibility criteria for renting a vehicle, beyond the requirement to hold an appropriate licence, is set by vehicle hire companies. Additional eligibility criteria, such as age restrictions and minimum driving experience, can be set as part of the rental agreement. In light of recent events, the Department for Transport are working with partners from across Government, the police, the security services and industry to explore what more can be done to prevent the malicious use of hire vehicles.

Apprentices: Travel

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of introducing discounted train and bus travel for apprentices in (a) 2017-18, (b) 2018-19, (c) 2019-20, (d) 2020-21 and (e) 2021-22.

Jesse Norman: The Department for Transport continues to explore the practicability of implementing such a scheme or schemes, which is likely to include an analysis of the costs involved.

Severn River Crossing: Tolls

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to cease collection of tolls for the Severn Bridges.

Jesse Norman: The Government consulted on future tolls at the Severn Bridges from January to March this year. We have listened carefully and will announce next steps in due course.

Railways: Bus Services

Stephen McPartland: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will bring forward proposals to restrict the use of bus replacement services for rail journeys only in the event of engineering works on rail lines.

Paul Maynard: The use of rail replacement buses is always regrettable when the passenger rightly expects a train to complete his or her journey. However, restricting the use of buses to planned engineering works only will deprive many people of transport when serious incidents occur, for example when the railway is closed to deal with the aftermath of an fatality or other operating incident. The Department will continue to work with the industry to limit the use of bus replacements services and therefore the impact on passengers. However, in a complex and growing network buses may offer the best solution to retain a consistent, reliable service for passengers in certain circumstances.

South Wales Railway Line: Electrification

Tonia Antoniazzi: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent progress has been made on electrification of the rail line to Swansea.

Paul Maynard: On the Great Western Mainline, electrification works continue along the route to Wales and new intercity trains will start to be delivered later this year.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to publish the outcome of Unlocking the UK's High Tech Economy: Consultation on the Safe Use of drones in the UK.

Mr John Hayes: The Department for Transport is committed to addressing the safety and security risks associated with drone use in the UK, whilst capturing the economic benefits of this technology, and intends to publish a full response to the consultation shortly.

Transport: Lasers

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will introduce legislation to create an offence of shining laser pointers at aircraft and other modes of transport.

Mr John Hayes: It is currently an offence to shine a laser at an aircraft, which carries a maximum penalty of a fine of £2,500. If intent to endanger an aircraft can be proved, a suspect can be tried under the Aviation and Safety Act 1982 for offences against the safety of aircraft, including damaging or endangering the safety of aircraft, which carries a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment. The Department continues to work closely with other government departments, the Civil Aviation Authority, as the independent regulator, the industry and other interested parties, like pilots, to consider how best to mitigate risks, and control the sale, use and possession of laser pens.

West Coast Partnership Rail Franchise

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the annual total fare income from High-Speed 2 services as part of the West Coast Partnership franchise.

Paul Maynard: The West Coast Partnership will be tasked with optimising the post-HS2 commencement service offer, utilising the total capacity available on the High Speed and intercity conventional services. This is something they will undertake during the early years of the franchise in preparation for the HS2 service launch in 2026.

Transport: Lasers

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to protect pilots, train and bus drivers from the misuse of laser pens.

Mr John Hayes: It is currently an offence to shine a laser at an aircraft, which carries a maximum penalty of a fine of £2,500. If intent to endanger an aircraft can be proved, a suspect can be tried under the Aviation and Safety Act 1982 for offences against the safety of aircraft, including damaging or endangering the safety of aircraft, which carries a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment. The Department continues to work closely with other government departments, regulators, industry and other interested parties, to consider how best to mitigate the risks of laser pen misuse to transport, and control the sale, use and possession of laser pens.

Severn River Crossing: Tolls

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Government plans to (a) introduce new or (b) amend existing legislation on the collection of tolls on the Severn Bridge.

Jesse Norman: The Government consulted on future tolls at the Severn Bridges from January to March this year. We have listened carefully and will announce next steps in due course.

Southern: Standards

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has (a) identified and (b) decided what powers and responsibilities should rest with a system operator as a custodian of overall system integrity for Southern Rail as a result of the recommendations of the Gibb report, published in December 2016.

Paul Maynard: As identified in the report by Chris Gibb, system integrity on the Southern network is a matter for the Alliance Board supported by the Thameslink 2018 Industry Readiness Board which is chaired by Chris Gibb. At an industry level, the Gibb report sets out that system oversight is now being provided by Network Rail, on a route led basis, supported by a reformed national team (Network Rail’s National System Operator). These key reforms at Network Rail will work with the Government’s approach to franchise contracts for train operating companies to make sure the rail system delivers as a whole for passengers and freight customers.

Southern: Standards

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he has taken to implement the recommendations of the Gibb report, published in December 2016.

Paul Maynard: Chris Gibb’s independent report into Southern Rail makes a number of recommendations for the network that we are already working with industry to deliver.In early January we committed an extra £300 million to improve infrastructure resilience, and we have established a new board to tackle issues ahead of the huge upgrades Thameslink will bring in 2018. However Chris Gibb found the main cause of widespread disruption for passengers was union action and unusually high levels of sick leave.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Zimbabwe: Human Rights

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions his Department has had with officials of the Republic of Zimbabwe on human rights.

Rory Stewart: ​The British Government is deeply concerned about the human rights situation in Zimbabwe, particularly the continuing harassment and detention of political activists ahead of Presidential elections in 2018. We frequently raise our concerns with the Zimbabwean government, urging it to end abuses and restore internationally accepted standards. Our Ambassador in Harare most recently raised these concerns with the Zimbabwean Foreign Ministry on 17 June and officials in London raised them with the Zimbabwean Embassy on 19 June.

Zimbabwe: Inflation

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions his Department has had with officials of the Republic of Zimbabwe on that country's rate of inflation.

Rory Stewart: ​We regularly discuss Zimbabwe's serious economic problems with its government, including rising inflation fuelled by monetary financing of the budget deficit. We agree with the May 2017 IMF recommendations for the government to take urgent action to curtail public expenditure and refrain from further central bank financing. Zimbabwe urgently needs to embark upon a comprehensive package of reforms through full re-engagement with the International Financial Institutions. We have been clear that this will require genuine commitment to reform in both the economic and governance spheres. Our Ambassador in Harare raised this with the Minister of Finance in April.

Zimbabwe: Elections

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with counterparts in the EU on free and fair elections in the Republic of Zimbabwe in 2018.

Rory Stewart: ​The Government remains in close contact with EU counterparts on the 2018 Presidential elections in Zimbabwe. We share a concern about the risks of the elections not being free and fair, especially because of voter registration, human rights violations and restrictions on political activity. The EU is funding a UNDP programme to support the elections in 2018, which we regularly review and discuss with EU counterparts.

Zimbabwe: Elections

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with counterparts in the African Union on free and fair elections in the Republic of Zimbabwe in 2018.

Rory Stewart: The UK has engaged counterparts in the African Union– particularly the Southern African Development Community – on the 2018 Presidential elections in Zimbabwe. We have highlighted that a democratic, prosperous and stable Zimbabwe is in the interests of the whole region and urged them to do what they can to encourage free and fair elections.

Iran: Disability

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with (a) the Secretary of State for International Development and (b) the Government of Iran on support for people with disabilities in that country.

Alistair Burt: The Government remains committed to developing a constructive relationship with Iran, building on the reopening of our Embassy in Tehran and the upgrade of our diplomatic relationship. We are exploring discussions with Iran on a range of issues, including human rights, where we regularly raise concerns with the Government of Iran on the use of the death penalty and the lack of freedom of political or religious belief. In the future we hope to be in a position to discuss other issues, including support for people with disabilities in the country.The Foreign Secretary regularly speaks to the International Development Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Witham (Priti Patel) on a range of issues. The appointment of Joint Ministers of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department of International Development further aligns these two departments, helping to facilitate discussions on a host of important subjects.

Israel and Lebanon: Minerals

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with the (a) Government of Israel and (b) Government of Lebanon on disputed mineral-rich areas of the eastern Mediterranean.

Alistair Burt: While we have not had any specific discussions with the Israeli or Lebanese authorities on this issue, we encourage all attempts to resolve the dispute.

Egypt: Christianity

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what diplomatic and other support the Government has given to the Egyptian Government as a result of recent attacks on Christian churches in the country.

Alistair Burt: Combating sectarian violence in Egypt is a shared objective for the Egyptian and British Governments.Following the recent terrorist attacks in Egypt targeting the Coptic Community, the Prime Minister, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May) wrote to the President of Egypt to express her condolences and reiterate the UK's support for Egypt in its fight against terrorism. The Government continues to work closely with the Egyptian authorities on security and counter-terrorism, including through training Egyptian officers in countering improvised explosive devices and close protection.The British Government has been clear that freedom of religious belief needs to be protected and that the ability to worship in peace is a vital component of a democratic society. We are concerned about recent reports of sectarian violence in Egypt, and welcome President Sisi's consistent calls for peaceful coexistence and the Government of Egypt's expression of support for the rights of Christians and for religious tolerance.

Lebanon: Refugees

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent diplomatic and other support the Government has given to the Lebanese Government to assist it with the influx of refugees into that country.

Alistair Burt: Since 2011 the UK has committed over £436m to Lebanon, including over £340m in humanitarian and development assistance to support the country in hosting over one million Syrian refugees. This includes helping refugee children to access quality education and the provision of skills training. We also continue to provide diplomatic and technical support to the Lebanese government.

Lebanon: Historic Buildings

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Government of Lebanon on the planned demolition of historical buildings of international significance in Beirut.

Alistair Burt: ​We have not made representations to the Government of Lebanon on this issue. Whilst we recognise there are concerns, this is ultimately a matter for the Lebanese government.

Israel: Palestinians

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with the Israeli Government on encouraging more Palestinians to seek Israeli citizenship.

Alistair Burt: We have not had any discussions with the Israeli authorities on this issue.

Syria: Armed Conflict

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to Together For Syria's Election 2017 manifesto, what steps he plans to take to work with the international community to protect civilians in Syria.

Alistair Burt: The protection of civilians in Syria is a priority for this Government. We will continue to support all efforts to reduce the level of violence in Syria, and use all diplomatic tools to work for a political solution which allows Syrians to decide their own future. The UK has played a leading role in the UN Security Council, supporting resolutions aimed at improving humanitarian access, civilian protection and investigating chemical weapons attacks.We will continue to pursue accountability in Syria, including through support for robust EU sanctions against the Asad regime. With UK support, the EU now has sanctions in place against 240 persons and 67 entities linked to the violent repression of civilians in Syria. The UK will maintain support for the UN Commission of Inquiry which is reporting on human rights violations and abuses; and the International Impartial and Independent Mechanism (IIIM) whose role is to investigate and collect evidence of crimes committed in Syria. The UK is contributing to the start-up costs of the IIIM.The UK continues to play a leading role in the fight against Daesh, which has been guilty of so many atrocities against civilians. We and the Coalition against Daesh take all allegations of civilian casualties seriously and ensure they are subsequently investigated. All possible precautions are taken to minimise the risk of civilian casualties when conducting any form of military operation. Through our rigorous targeting processes we will continue to seek to minimise the risk of civilian casualties.

Qatar: Diplomatic Relations

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the diplomatic situation between Qatar and its neighbouring states.

Alistair Burt: We are deeply concerned by the tensions in the Gulf. The continuation of this dispute which threatens the long-term security, stability and economies of States in the region is in no-one's interests. This is why the British Government wants to see Gulf unity restored and for all parties to take steps to build confidence.That means Qatar's neighbours must ensure their demands are measured and realistic. Qatar also needs to take steps to engage on the substance of its neighbours' concerns and build on the progress already made on counter-terrorism and counter-radicalisation in partnership with other Gulf countries.The Prime Minister, the Foreign Secretary and I have spoken regularly to our counterparts in the region, as well as to US, French and EU partners. We want to support the Gulf Cooperation Council countries in finding a swift solution.

Ilois: Resettlement

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he or a Minister of his Department intends to meet representatives from the Chagos community to discuss (a) their campaign to return to and (b) the vote in the UN on the legal status of the Chagos Islands.

Sir Alan Duncan: The former Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, the Rt Hon. Baroness Anelay of St Johns met representatives from the Chagos Refugees Group on 15 September. FCO officials continue to regularly meet members of the Chagossian community in the UK and overseas. Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon holds the lead responsibility for British Indian Ocean Territory and looks forward to meeting with Chagossian representatives in the near future.

Somaliland: Election Observers

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what funding the Government is providing for election monitoring in the 2017 elections in Somaliland.

Rory Stewart: The UK plans to fund independent international monitoring of the delayed Somaliland Presidential election, now scheduled for November 2017. Procurement is underway. The UK is providing an additional £1.4 million to support the broader Somaliland electoral cycle. The UK confirmed in an international statement on 26 January 2017 that no UK funding would be used to cover additional costs associated with electoral delays.

Department for International Development

Crimes of Violence: Females

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether her Department plans to increase funding to support grassroots groups working to end violence against women and girls across the world.

Alistair Burt: The Government remains strongly committed to ending violence against women and girls across the world, and recognises the crucial role played by women’s rights organisations. In November 2016, the Secretary of State announced new funding to support 40 grassroots organisations with the local knowledge and expertise to address Female Genital Mutilation and child, early and forced marriage. We have also increased funding to the UN Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women, which provides grants to women’s rights organisations and other small grassroots organisations.

Fairtrade Initiative

Tonia Antoniazzi: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the Government's policy is on Fairtrade certification.

Alistair Burt: The UK government is a strong supporter of Fairtrade. From 2010 to 2016, DFID provided £18 million to Fairtrade International to support their work and strengthen the global Fairtrade system. This includes Fairtrade producer and worker organizations that contribute to inclusive economic, environmental and social development in their communities around the world. DFID continues to actively engage with Fairtrade on a variety of projects and campaigns, such as supporting the pilot of Fairtrace, a technology based supply chain mapping programme run with Fairtrade’s supply chain assurance partner, FLOCERT.

Department for International Development: Ministers

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what proportion of time joint Department for International Development-Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers will spend at her Department.

Rory Stewart: Mr Burt and Mr Stewart will split their time between the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development. They will of course prioritise based on events and issues as they arise

Department for International Development: Ministerial Policy Advisers

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many civil service staff, by grade, work in her Department's Special Advisers' Office.

Rory Stewart: DFID’s Special Advisers’ Office is supported by 2 Civil Servants at Grade B2/Executive Officers. These staff members also perform broader roles within the Secretary of State’s office and DFID’s Top Management Group.

Overseas Aid

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what estimate she has made of the proportion of official development assistance which will be spent by other Departments in each year until 2019-20.

Rory Stewart: Table 1 below provides the estimated proportion of Official Development Assistance (ODA) to be spent by other government departments and cross-government funds. Funding is dispersed across a wide range of departments and cross-government funds. Expected proportions are based on ODA budget allocations in order to meet the government’s commitment to spend 0.7 per cent of Gross National Income (GNI) on ODA in each calendar year.Table 1: Expected proportion of ODA to be spent by other government departments, 2017/18-2019/20 .2017/182018/192019/20Non-DFID departmental spend (incl cross-gov funds)20%23% 25%

Department for Education

Teachers: Training

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what training the Government is providing for teachers on the new GCSE grades system.

Nick Gibb: The independent exams regulator Ofqual, the awarding organisations and the Department for Education (DfE) have been providing, since 2014, a full range of information including guidance to teachers on the new 9 to 1 grading scale for reformed GCSEs in England. All awarding organisations must comply with Ofqual’s General Conditions of Recognition, which include rules related to the provision of effective guidance to schools and colleges (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-the-general-conditions-of-recognition). Ofqual’s information campaign on the changes to GCSEs and the new grading scale has included speaking events, regular newsletters as well as blogs, postcards, webinars and advertising on social media and catch up television. Additionally, in July 2016 and March this year all schools and colleges were sent a joint DfE/Ofqual slide pack which provides teachers with a single source of information about the changes to GCSEs, and also to AS and A levels. This can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/march-2017-ofqual-letter-to-schools.  More recently, on 20 and 21 June, we launched a new webpage (https://newgcses.campaign.gov.uk/) and fact sheets (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/gcse-new-grading-scale-factsheets) which provide information for teachers, and also for students, parents, employers, and others who work in education.

Schools: Standards

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her policy is on preventing new places in schools that have been rated inadequate or requiring improvement by Ofsted.

Nick Gibb: We want every pupil to have the opportunity to attend a good school and will provide more details in due course.

Schools: Mathematics

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her policy is on the opening of specialist maths schools.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The government would like to open more maths schools across England. Kings College London Mathematics School and Exeter Mathematics School are proving highly successful. Both are rated outstanding by Ofsted and were well above average for post 16 progress in 2016.

Faith Schools: Admissions

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her policy is on inclusivity rules and faith school admissions.

Justine Greening: Schools play a vital role in promoting integration and promoting an understanding of different faiths and communities. We expect all schools to be inclusive and respect the protected characteristics of their pupils in line with their responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010. Schools designated with a religious character have the freedom to take faith into account when allocating places. We will continue to work closely with faith schools to promote and support integration and will set out further details in due course.

Schools: Admissions

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to carry out a review of school admissions policy.

Nick Gibb: We want every pupil to be able to access a good school place. That is why we routinely keep the admissions system under review.

Literacy: Teaching Methods

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her policy is on phonics screening testing.

Nick Gibb: It is vital that pupils learn to read in the early years of primary school. There is a substantial body of evidence which demonstrates that systematic synthetic phonics is the most effective method for teaching all pupils to read. The phonics screening check for pupils in year 1 was introduced nationally in 2012, to make sure that pupils have learned phonic decoding to an age appropriate standard. Thanks to the hard work of teachers, our continued focus on raising standards and the increased emphasis on phonics‎, there are now an additional 147,000 six-year-olds on track to becoming fluent readers. Given this success, we continue to support the administration of the phonics screening check in our primary schools.

Primary Education: Mathematics

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her policy is on the knowledge of times tables by 11 year olds.

Nick Gibb: Multiplication tables provide an important underpinning to gaining greater mathematical knowledge and improving pupils’ written and mental arithmetic. The requirement to teach multiplication tables is included in the mathematics National Curriculum. We expect that all pupils should be able to recall and use facts for multiplication tables, up to 12, by the end of Year 4.

Secondary Education

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her policy is on accountability of schools at key stage 3.

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her policy is on improving the accountability of schools at Key Stage 3.

Nick Gibb: Key Stage 3 is a vital part of secondary education. The Government is clear that all pupils deserve to receive a broad and balanced curriculum in the first three years of secondary school. All secondary schools are held to account on the basis of their results at the end of Key Stage 4. Ofsted’s school inspection handbook makes clear that inspectors will consider the progress that pupils are making at the end of each year and each Key Stage. The Government is considering how best to improve accountability at Key Stage 3.

English Baccalaureate: GCSE

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her policy is on the proportion of pupils to be entered for the EBacc combination of GCSEs by the end of this Parliament.

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her policy is on the proportion of schools to be entered for the Ebacc combination of GCSEs by 2025.

Nick Gibb: The Government believes that the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) provides the right educational foundation for the majority of pupils. We want to see a significant increase in the proportion of pupils in mainstream secondary schools entering the EBacc combination of subjects at GCSE. We will publish further detail about the EBacc policy in due course.

Curriculum

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her policy is on access to an academic, knowledge-rich curriculum.

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether additional funding will be made available to ensure that every child can access an academic, knowledge-rich curriculum.

Nick Gibb: The Government is committed to improving educational standards for all pupils, regardless of their background. That is why we have introduced a broad, knowledge based, academic, and high quality curriculum, which covers the core academic subjects, and provides a rich arts education giving pupils a deeper appreciation of culture. In 2014, the Government introduced a new, more ambitious National Curriculum based on this knowledge based approach and is funding programmes such as Maths Hubs and Science Learning Partnerships to support schools to teach it.

Primary Education: Assessments

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her policy is on assessments at the end of primary school.

Nick Gibb: Assessment in primary schools is a fundamental part of ensuring that every pupil acquires the sound grasp of the basics of literacy and numeracy that they need in order to succeed at secondary school and in later life. That is why pupils in Year 6 sit statutory tests in English reading, grammar, punctuation and spelling, and mathematics. We also collect teacher assessment data for English writing.We have made clear our intention to establish a settled, proportionate primary assessment system for the long term, and we have recently conducted a public consultation on our proposals to achieve this. Further announcements will be made once we have considered the responses to that consultation.

Curriculum

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her policy is on how Ofsted can give parents more information on what their children are being taught.

Nick Gibb: Parents value inspection reports as a reliable source of information about their children’s school. As part of Ofsted’s current school inspections, inspectors already consider the design and implementation of the school’s curriculum, and the extent to which the curriculum is broad and balanced. The Government is working with Ofsted to consider how parents can be given more information on what their children are taught.

Teachers: Training

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her policy is on the repayment of student loans by teachers.

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of debt forgiveness on student loan repayments for teachers in (a) 2017-18, (b) 2018-19, (c) 2019-20, (d) 2020-21 and (e) 2021-22.

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her Department's policy is on the level of debt forgiveness on student loan repayments for teachers.

Nick Gibb: The Government is reviewing its approach ‎to the financing of teacher training and its relationship to wider student support. We will announce our conclusions in due course.

Teachers: Career Development

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her policy is on providing career support for teachers.

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her policy is on providing support for teachers throughout their careers.

Nick Gibb: A focus on career development is a hallmark of a strong profession. We are committed to working with teachers and head teachers to improve support for career progression. This includes supporting the development of clear development pathways – whether staying in the classroom, working elsewhere in the education system, or progressing to leadership. As part of this, we have already introduced an ITT framework (available at www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/536890/Framework_Report_11_July_2016_Final.pdf) to provide the best start to a career in teaching, and have committed to strengthening QTS to help raise the status of the profession and support improvements in quality. We have announced that the strengthened QTS will be introduced from September 2019 and we are in the process of considering options and engaging with the profession. Decisions relating to teachers’ professional development rightly rest with head teachers and teachers, as they are in the best position to judge their own requirements. We have supported this by creating the Standard for Professional Development, published in July 2016 (available at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/standard-for-teachers-professional-development). This will help embed a culture and expectation of continuing professional development throughout a teacher’s career, and the new Teaching and Leadership Innovation Fund will provide funds to improve the quality of CPD, particularly in the areas that need it most. The Chartered College of Teaching, which opened to members in January 2017 and is initially supported by Government funding, will focus on helping teachers access high quality professional development using the evidence base on effective practice to inform their own teaching.

Schools: Bureaucracy

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her policy is on unnecessary paper work.

Nick Gibb: We are continuing our extensive work with the teaching profession to remove unnecessary workload. This will allow teachers to concentrate on teaching, rather than bureaucracy and paperwork.We established three independent review groups to address the three biggest issues emerging from our 2014 Workload Challenge – unnecessary workload around marking, use of planning and resources, and data management. We published their reports on 26 March 2016. They allow teachers and school leaders to challenge unproductive practice and provide an opportunity to reassess and streamline policies and processes using their clear principles.We have accepted all the recommendations for Government from those reports. Our action plan, published on 24 February this year, shows that we are fully committed to doing more.The report on the findings of the first biennial survey on teacher workload, published at the same time, confirms that the Government was right to focus on these three major causes of unnecessary workload in schools.

Schools: Inspections

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her policy is on reducing the burden of Ofsted inspections.

Nick Gibb: Keeping burdens to a minimum has been, and continues to be, an important aim of the Government’s inspection policy. In 2015, Ofsted introduced a more proportionate inspection model through short inspections for good schools and colleges. In recent years, Ofsted has also sought to dispel myths about what inspectors do or do not expect in areas such as marking, lesson planning and the presentation of pupil performance information. The Government is committed to building on this work to bear down on the burden of inspection, and is working with Ofsted to consider next steps.

Schools: Vacancies

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her policy is on introducing a single jobs portal for schools to advertise vacancies.

Nick Gibb: We are creating a new national teacher vacancy service that will make it easier for schools to advertise jobs and applicants to find them.

Schools: Finance

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her policy is on introducing a new national funding formula for schools.

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her policy is on budget cuts and the new funding formula.

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her policy is on increasing the schools budget in the next five years.

Nick Gibb: The core schools budget has been protected in real terms since 2010 and is set to rise from £41 billion in 2017-18 to over £42 billion in 2019-20 with increasing pupil numbers. The Government has committed to increase the school budget further. We will continue to work to ensure that every pupil has the opportunity to attend a good school and that all schools are fairly funded. We are considering the more than 25,000 responses we received to the National Funding Formula consultation, and will publish our response in due course.

Pupils: Poverty

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many students attending (a) comprehensive and (b) grammar schools in England are within each decile of the Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index.

Nick Gibb: The information required to answer this question is not held and compiling the information would incur a disproportionate cost.

Literacy: Teaching Methods

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what methodology her Department plans to use to measure the effectiveness of the phonics screening test.

Nick Gibb: The phonics screening check was introduced in 2012, when 58 per cent of Year 1 pupils met the expected standard. By 2016, this had risen to 81 per cent. Of those pupils meeting the phonics standard in year 1 in 2015, almost 9 in 10 (89 per cent) went on to reach the expected standard in reading at the end of Key Stage 1. There are now 147,000 more six-year-olds on track to become excellent readers since the introduction of the check. In June 2015, the Department published the report of the evaluation of the phonics screening check conducted by the National Foundation for Educational Research, which covered the three annual administrations of the check between 2012 and 2014. Its key finding was that the check has had a positive impact on pupils’ attainment in phonics. The evaluation report is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/phonics-screening-check-evaluation-final-report.

Primary Education: Teachers

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many teachers there were in state primary schools in England in each year from 2010-11 to the most recent year for which data is available.

Nick Gibb: The following table provides the full time equivalent number of teachers in state funded nursery and primary schools in England, in November 2010 to 2016. State Funded Nursery and Primary Schools[1]November 2010196,400November 2011199,500November 2012204,700November 2013209,500November 2014215,500November 2015220,000November 2016222,400Source: School Workforce CensusThese figures are derived from the November School Workforce Census and are published in table 1 of the statistical first release ‘School Workforce in England, November 2016’, available at the following web link:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/school-workforce-in-england-november-2016[1] Figures are rounded to the nearest 100 teachers.

Academies: Standards

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support poorly performing multi-academy trusts.

Mr Robert Goodwill: Where academies are underperforming we act swiftly to address failure and secure improvement. Regional School Commissioners (RSCs) and their teams work with trusts on a case by case basic to determine the best course of action, ensuring education for pupils in the first priority.RSCs can commission a range of support to help MATs to improve – including from local system leaders such as Teaching Schools and National Leaders of Education.If a trust is not making rapid enough improvements at a school the RSC may take formal action including issuing formal notices. Ultimately, if the trust cannot make sufficient and rapid enough improvement the school may be transferred to a new trust with the capacity and capability to raise standards for pupils.

University of Chester Academies Trust

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the performance of the University of Chester Academies Trust.

Mr Robert Goodwill: We monitor the performance of trusts on an ongoing basis. Where academies are underperforming we act swiftly to address failure and secure improvement on a case by case basis.The performance of UCAT is not at the standard we would expect. As with any academy that is underperforming, we are working with the trust to determine the best course of action, ensuring education for pupils is the first priority.

Sex and Relationship Education

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Written Statement of 1 March 2017, HCWS509, on Sex and Relationships Education (SRE), what the timetable is for deciding the content of the new SRE.

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her policy is on the requirement for schools to teach SRE from September 2019.

Nick Gibb: The Children and Social Work Act (2017) places a duty on the Secretary of State to make relationships education mandatory in all primary schools, and relationships and sex education mandatory in all secondary schools, in England. The Government also made a commitment to ensuring that the updated guidance and regulations for these subjects would be age appropriate and support the knowledge children and young people need to stay safe and to develop positive relationships. The Department intends to conduct a thorough and wide ranging engagement process on relationships education and relationships and sex education. This will determine the content of the regulations and statutory guidance, covering subject content, school practice and quality of delivery. We will ensure the subjects are carefully designed to safeguard and support pupils whilst being deliverable for schools.Relationships education and relationships and sex education will be age appropriate, building knowledge over time in a way that prepares pupils for issues they will soon face. We will set out shortly more details about the engagement process and the work to consider age appropriate subject content. This will result in draft regulations and guidance on which we will consult. Following consultation, regulations will be laid in the House allowing for a full and considered debate.

Faith Schools: Admissions

Mr William Wragg: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her policy is on the proposal set out in Schools that work for everyone, published in September 2016, on the 50 per cent admissions cap on faith schools.

Justine Greening: Schools play a vital role in promoting integration and promoting an understanding of different faiths and communities. We will continue to work closely with faith schools to promote and support integration and will set out further details in due course.

Schools: Mathematics

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much additional (a) capital and (b) revenue funding her Department plans to allocate for opening a specialist maths school in every major city in England.

Nick Gibb: The Government would like to open more maths schools and will allocate capital and revenue funding as necessary. These new schools will build on the success of King’s College London Mathematics School and Exeter Mathematics School, both of which are rated outstanding by Ofsted and were well above average for post 16 progress in 2016.

Primary Education: Assessments

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to carry out further consultation on primary assessment in England.

Nick Gibb: On 30 March, the Department published two consultation documents setting out proposals to improve statutory assessment in our primary schools. The first of these documents, ‘Primary assessment in England,’ set out wide ranging proposals designed to ensure that we have a settled, proportionate statutory assessment system that supports all pupils to fulfil their potential. The second document sought views on the recommendations made by the independent Rochford Review in relation to statutory assessment arrangements for pupils working below the standard of National Curriculum tests. Following a 12 week consultation period, we are now considering the responses we have received to those consultation documents and the Government response will be published in due course. We currently have no plans to carry out further formal public consultation exercises on primary assessment, although we will continue to listen to the views of stakeholders, and especially head teachers and teachers.

Schools: Finance

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the cost to the public purse will be of ensuring that no school will have its funding cut as part of the introduction of a new funding formula for schools in (a) 2017-18, (b) 2018-19, (c) 2019-20, (d) 2020-21 and (e) 2021-22.

Nick Gibb: We will continue to work to ensure that every child has the opportunity to attend a good school and that all schools are fairly funded. We are considering the more than 25,000 responses we received to the National Funding Formula consultation, and will publish our response in due course. The cost of providing protections under the new funding formula will depend on the outcome of those considerations.

Schools: Finance

Jim McMahon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent estimate she has made of core school funding in each year from 2015 to 2019.

Nick Gibb: We want to ensure every primary and secondary school has the resources it needs to deliver a high quality education for every pupil. That is why the core schools budget has been protected in real terms since 2010. Core school funding was at £39.6 billion in 2015-16 rising to £40.2 billion in 2016-17. It is set to rise from £41.0 billion in 2017-18 to £42.6 billion in 2019-20 with increasing pupil numbers. We know that how schools use their money is also important in delivering the best outcomes for pupils and we will continue to provide support to help them use their funding in cost effective ways. The Government has produced tools, information and guidance to support improved financial health and efficiency in schools, which can be found at: tinyurl.com/HUTWG36.

Schools: Fire Hazards

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the number of schools built since 2010 that are (a) not fitted with sprinkler systems and (b) have used flammable cladding.

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans she has to review or amend Building Bulletin 100: design for fire safety in schools.

Nick Gibb: The Department is undertaking an analysis of all school buildings to identify those over four storeys high, to ensure we include all buildings that are over 18m in our analysis. This analysis is to establish what, if any, external cladding has been used on these buildings. For these buildings, it will also check that where a fire risk assessment has identified the need to install a sprinkler system, installation has taken place. This exercise will cover school buildings of all ages. The Department has no plans to introduce any changes that would make fire safety laws for schools less strict. Alongside the rest of Government, we will take forward any findings from the public inquiry into the tragic Grenfell Tower fire and ensure any recommendations for schools are implemented.

Schools: Asbestos

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the number of school buildings in England that contain asbestos.

Nick Gibb: Use of asbestos in the construction of buildings in Britain, including schools, peaked between 1945 and 1975 before declining until its use was banned in 1999. In March 2016, the Department carried out a data collection exercise, aimed at all schools to help us understand how asbestos is being managed across the country. 25.2% of schools responded, of which 83% indicated that asbestos was present on their school estate. We intend to enhance our understanding of how effectively asbestos is being managed in schools, by asking all responsible bodies to provide a report on their schools’ compliance with associated legislation and guidance. Through this assurance process, responsible bodies can confirm whether asbestos is present in their schools and that they have the necessary processes and procedures in place, in relation to the management of asbestos, to ensure the safety of pupils, staff and visitors to their schools.

Literacy: Teaching Methods

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her policy is on improving the phonics screening test.

Nick Gibb: The phonics screening check was introduced in 2012, when 58 per cent of Year 1 pupils met the expected standard. By 2016, this had risen to 81 per cent. There are now 147,000 more six year olds on track to become excellent readers since the introduction of the check. This year, we are funding ten phonics partnerships up to a total of £75,000. This involves a high performing lead school working with neighbouring schools to improve the quality of teaching through systematic synthetic phonics. In March 2016, we funded ten phonics roadshows and this summer we are holding a further 24 phonics roadshows around the country, including in Opportunity Areas. These events will highlight best practice and promote the teaching of systematic synthetic phonics as the most effective approach to early reading in primary schools. We will look for further ways to build on this progress to make sure that all children become fluent readers early in primary school.

Music: Education

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of students in state maintained schools were (a) offered and (b) took up (i) musical instrument lessons, (ii) free or means-tested music tuition and (iii) free or means-tested access to musical instruments in each of the last three years.

Nick Gibb: The National Curriculum sets the expectation that all pupils should be taught to play a musical instrument. Maintained schools must follow the National Curriculum; academies have greater flexibility.The Government is investing £300 million for music education hubs in 2016 to 2020 to ensure all pupils, whatever their background, have access to a high quality music education, including learning to play musical instruments and having the opportunity to play and sing in ensembles. Hubs are also expected to ensure that clear progression routes are available and affordable to all young people and to provide an instrument loan service, with discounts or free provision for those on low incomes.The Department does not hold the data in the format requested. The table below shows the number of pupils in Key Stages 1 to 5 that participated in music lessons that were organised by music education hubs. The data are for the 2012/13, 2013/14 and 2014/15, which are the three most recent academic years for which data has been published.Further data on music education hubs can be found on Arts Council England’s website: http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/children-and-young-people/music-education-hubs-survey.Access to music lessons by pupils in Key Stages 1 to 5 in England via music education hubsAcademic yearIndividual singing/instrumental lessonsSinging/instrumental lessons in small groupsSinging / instrumental lessons in large groups (not including WCET)Whole Class Ensemble Teaching (WCET)2012/13n/an/an/a531,4222013/14n/an/an/a596,8202014/15133,127265,768103,046631,223n/a = data not available Source: Music Education Hubs Survey

Grammar Schools

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to allow new selective schools to be established; and if she will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: I refer the hon. Member to the answer the Secretary of State provided to the hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green on 26 June.

Leader of the House

English Votes for English Laws

Lady Hermon: To ask the Leader of the House, if she will introduce proposals to rescind standing orders relating to English votes for English laws; and if she will make a statement.

Andrea Leadsom: The Government undertook a technical review of the Standing Orders relating to English Votes for English Laws in October 2016. A report was subsequently published on 30 March 2017 in which the Government concluded that the procedures introduced by English Votes have shown to be working well and do not require substantive change at this time. However, Parliament and the Government will continue to work together in monitoring the operation of the procedures. A copy of the report can be found at the below address:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/english-votes-for-english-laws-review

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Commercial Broadcasting: Radio

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will publish a list of organisations and individuals who submitted evidence to the Commercial Radio Deregulation Consultation.

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when she plans to respond to the Commercial Radio Deregulation Consultation.

Matt Hancock: The commercial radio deregulation consultation closed on 8 May 2017. We intend on publishing the government response in due course. A list of respondents to the consultation will be included in the government response, excluding those who requested anonymity.

S4C

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether the independent review of S4C will be completed before 1 January 2018.

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether the independent review of S4C will be launched before 1 September 2018.

Matt Hancock: The government is committed to carrying out a review of S4C's remit, governance and funding in 2017. We will announce more details shortly.

Arts: Disability

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the merits of the European Accessibility Act for deaf and disabled artists; and what plans she has to replicate or improve on this legislation when the UK leaves the EU.

John Glen: The proposed European Accessibility Act does not have any specific provisions related to deaf or disabled artists, as distinct from other consumers. However the UK already has strong legislation in place to improve accessibility for disabled people across a range of sectors, and to provide protection from discrimination. This will be taken into account as we consider the impact of leaving the EU on all legislation that has effect in the UK.

Gaming Machines and Social Responsibility Measures Review

Mr Paul J Sweeney: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when she plans to publish the review of Fixed Odds Betting Terminals which closed in December 2016.

Tracey Crouch: A review of gaming machines and social responsibility measures was launched in October 2016, which included a look at the issue of B2 gaming machines (more commonly known as fixed odds betting terminals). Responses to the review's call for evidence are being considered and a response will be published in due course.

Television: Licensing

Mr Paul J Sweeney: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what her policy is on the provision of free television licences for over-75s.

Matt Hancock: Households occupied by at least one person over 75 are exempt from paying the TV licence fee, which currently cost £147.00 a year.

Gaming Machines: Reviews

Gerald Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when her Department plans to make an announcement on its review of fixed odds betting terminals.

Tracey Crouch: A review of gaming machines and social responsibility measures was launched in October 2016, which included a look at the Fix Odds Betting terminals. Purdah interrupted the final stages of our consideration of the evidence received and the subsequent internal, cross government process of approval and sign off. I'm afraid, therefore, that we are back at the start of the process and that as a consequence of it taking at least 12 weeks I would not expect any further announcement until October at the earliest.

Gaming Machines: Reviews

Sandy Martin: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when her Department plans to make an announcement on its review of fixed odds betting terminals.

Tracey Crouch: A review of gaming machines and social responsibility measures was launched in October 2016, which included a look at the Fix Odds Betting terminals. Purdah interrupted the final stages of our consideration of the evidence received and the subsequent internal, cross government process of approval and sign off. I'm afraid, therefore, that we are back at the start of the process and that as a consequence of it taking at least 12 weeks I would not expect any further announcement until October at the earliest.

Gaming Machines: Reviews

Graham P Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when her Department plans to make an announcement on its review of fixed odds betting terminals.

Matt Hancock: A review of gaming machines and social responsibility measures was launched in October 2016, which included a look at the Fix Odds Betting terminals. Purdah interrupted the final stages of our consideration of the evidence received and the subsequent internal, cross government process of approval and sign off. I'm afraid, therefore, that we are back at the start of the process and that as a consequence of it taking at least 12 weeks I would not expect any further announcement until October at the earliest.

Music: Small Businesses

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what plans she has to improve financial and statutory support for small music venues.

Matt Hancock: We are committed to supporting and promoting a thriving live music industry. We support small music venues through business rates relief, by looking at the agent of change principle and with simplified licensing and planning rules.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Ivory: Sales

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 18 April 2017 to Question 69979, for what reasons that Answer does not refer to any assessment of the effectiveness of the ban on the sale of antique ivory objects made after 1947.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Any Government proposals on further UK restrictions on the sale of ivory would be subject to consultation. Only following such a consultation, where Government is able to gather views and evidence to evaluate the impact and likely effectiveness of any proposals, can a full evaluation be completed.

Air Pollution

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans his Department has to promote public knowledge of air pollution levels across the UK.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Defra publishes extensive air quality information on its UK Air website (uk-air.defra.gov.uk) as well as disseminating up-to-date information through social media, emails and Freephone services. Information on this website includes daily air pollution forecasts and hourly monitoring data from national monitoring sites, alongside associated health advice. The website also holds research reports and a back catalogue of historical monitoring and modelling data made available as open data. There is an effective cross-government system in place for giving health advice to the public during periods of high air pollution. Defra, Public Health England and the Met Office work closely together to issue up-to-date postcode-specific forecasts, bulletins and social media updates. We also work with health charities to make sure vulnerable people are aware of any periods of low air quality. In addition, local authorities monitor air pollution and make this information available locally.

Nitrous Oxide: EU Law

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made for the length of time it will take for air quality to comply with EU nitrous oxide regulations; and if he will make a statement.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: This will, in part, depend on the content of the Government’s final air quality plan. The Government recently consulted on a draft air quality plan setting out our approach to reducing levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) to within legal limits in the shortest possible time. The draft is available at: consult.defra.gov.uk/airquality/air-quality-plan-for-tackling-nitrogen-dioxide. The final plan will be published by 31 July.

Nitrous Oxide: EU Law

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate his Department has made of the court costs for the air quality compliance cases brought by ClientEarth; and if he will make a statement.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Defra estimates that the legal fees incurred by the Government to defend the litigation brought by ClientEarth are around £310,000. The case is ongoing and so further costs are likely to be incurred.

Agriculture: Migrant Workers

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the effect of the UK leaving the EU on the number of non-UK workers in the agriculture and horticulture sector in each of the next five years; and if he will make a statement.

George Eustice: We remain closely engaged with industry to ensure that we are informed of the latest intelligence on the labour market. The Home Office intends to commission the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to better understand the reliance on EU migrant workers across the economy and consider the UK’s labour market needs. The number of non-UK workers in the agriculture and horticulture sector after we leave the EU will depend on the final shape of domestic immigration policy.

Department for Exiting the European Union

Seasonal Workers

Kate Hollern: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, if he will provide a list of people and organisations which have lobbied him and his Department on the UK's requirements for seasonal workers.

Mr Steve Baker: Ministers and officials across Government are engaging with UK and EU organisations from every sector of the economy - this is a central element of our plan to get the right deal for Britain. We are listening and talking to a broad range of organisations, companies and institutions both in the UK and abroad, including on the issue of requirements for seasonal workers. Details of Ministerial meetings will be published in the Department’s Quarterly Transparency Returns, which will be made publicly available on GOV.UK.

Brexit: Falkland Islands

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what discussions he has had with representatives of the Falkland Islands Government on that Government's role in discussions on the UK leaving the EU.

Mr Robin Walker: HM Government is committed to involving the Overseas Territories, including the Falkland Islands, as we prepare to exit the EU, and ensuring their interests are properly taken into account. Ministers and leaders of the Overseas Territories have committed to taking forward future engagement through the creation of the UK – Overseas Territories Joint Ministerial Council on European Negotiations (JMC – OT EN), which I chaired, which met for the first time in February and will meet again on the 12th July.

UK Trade with EU

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether it remains the position of the Government that the UK should withdraw from both the customs union and the single market.

Mr Steve Baker: The Prime Minister and this Government have been consistently clear on both these issues, and they are explored in detail in pages 35 to 49 of the Government's White Paper The United Kingdom's exit from and new partnership with the European Union.We will not seek membership of the Single Market after we leave the EU, but will pursue instead a bold and ambitious Free Trade Agreement as part of a new, deep and special partnership. In doing so, we will take back control of our laws and bring an end to the direct jurisdiction of the Court of Justice of the EU in the UK.

Borders: Northern Ireland

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what assessment he has made of the effect of withdrawing from the Customs Union on the land border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

Mr Robin Walker: The Government was clear in its White Paper that we aim to have as seamless and frictionless a border as possible between Northern Ireland and Ireland. There is a very strong commitment from the UK and Irish Governments to find a practical solution that recognises the unique circumstances on the land border between Northern Ireland and Ireland. We welcome the European Council’s commitment to develop flexible and imaginative solutions, and the establishment of a dialogue between the UK and EU Commission to discuss this issue.

Department for Exiting the European Union: Consultants

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how much has been spent in total on services provided by Deloitte, KPMG, PwC, Ernst & Young and McKinsey Consulting since his Department's creation.

Mr Steve Baker: The Department for Exiting the European Union has used the services of a number of consulting firms to help with departmental set-up and planning. A small number of individuals are also on secondment from consultancy firms and external organisations. The Department will make further use of external support and recruitment as appropriate to ensure it has the right expertise available.The total expenditure on professional services and consultancy in the financial year 2016-17 will be published in the annual report and accounts. Specific contracts awarded over £10,000 and items of expenditure over £25,000 will be reported in due course.

Department for Exiting the European Union: Secondment

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, with reference to the Answer of 14 March 2017 to Question 67738, how many staff have been seconded to his Department from (a) PwC, (b) Deloitte, (c) Accenture, (d) McKinsey & Co, (f) Ernst and Young and (g) Bain & Company since July 2016.

Mr Steve Baker: The department has sourced a large proportion of experienced staff from across Whitehall and a number of secondees from the private sector and the wider public sector. We are not in a position to give a final total for particular groups of staff as recruitment is ongoing and numbers are regularly changing.

Brexit: Statutory Instruments

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what recent estimate he has made of the number of Statutory Instruments that will be required to support the UK leaving the EU.

Mr Steve Baker: In the Government White Paper on the Repeal Bill [‘Legislating for the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union’], published on 30 March 2017, we estimated around 800 - 1,000 EU-exit related Statutory Instruments will be required. This figure still reflects current expectations and remains subject to policy decisions, further work on how we bring forward the secondary legislation, and on the outcome of negotiations.

Immigration: EU Nationals

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, when he expects to reach an agreement on the cut off date for EU nationals to gain the same rights as British nationals after the UK leaves the EU.

Mr Robin Walker: We want to reach a reciprocal agreement for EU citizens in Britain and UK nationals in Europe as quickly as possible, including on the issue of the ‘cut-off’ date. Negotiations are now underway. The specified ‘cut-off’ date will be no earlier than the trigger of Article 50, and no later than the UK’s exit from the EU.

Brexit: Scotland

Gavin Newlands: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether the Repeal Bill will require a legislative consent motion from the Scottish Parliament.

Mr Robin Walker: The Repeal Bill is an essential Bill in the national interest – it will give powers to the devolved administrations that are necessary for preparing their statute books for our exit from the EU. As the Secretary of State has made clear, the Bill will ensure that the decisions that are currently made by the devolved administrations will continue to be made by the devolved administrations. It is the expectation of the Government that the process of repatriating powers from the EU will result in a significant increase in the decision making power of each devolved administration.The Bill affects the powers of the devolved institutions and legislates in devolved areas, so we will seek the consent of the devolved legislatures, including the Scottish Parliament, for the Bill. We would like everyone to come together in support of this legislation, which is crucial to delivering the referendum outcome.

Attorney General

Sentencing: Appeals

Stephen Metcalfe: To ask the Attorney General, whether the Government plans to extend the scope of the unduly lenient sentence scheme.

Robert Buckland: The Government re-committed in our manifesto that we will extend the scope of the unduly lenient sentence scheme. We will shortly be extending the scheme so that it applies to terrorism offences sentenced in the Crown Court.

Ministry of Justice

Road Traffic Offences: Sentencing

Naz Shah: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when he plans to publish feedback from the consultation into driving offences and penalties relating to causing death or serious injury that closed on 1 February 2017.

Dominic Raab: The consultation on driving offences and penalties issued by the previous government closed on 1 February. The government is now considering the consultation responses. Any announcement will be made in due course.

Children: Maintenance

Tonia Antoniazzi: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that HM Courts and Tribunal Service hears appeals relating to the Child Support Agency as quickly as possible.

Dominic Raab: HM Courts & Tribunals Service will continue to work closely with the Tribunal judiciary to deal in a timely way with all categories of appeal it receives. Since appeal receipts have started to rise, steps are under way to increase the capacity and the performance of the Tribunal. These include reviewing listing practices, and recruiting over 400 judicial office holders to provide long-term capacity.Information about the timeliness of Social Security and Child Support (SSCS) appeals is published on gov.uk. The most recent statistics, for the period January to March 2017, can be viewed at:www.gov.uk/government/statistics/tribunals-and-gender-recognitions-certificates-statistics-quarterly-january-to-march-2017-and-2016-to-2017.

Courts

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he plans to publish a draft Courts Bill.

Dominic Raab: The Government is committed to introducing legislation to modernise the courts system, as set out in the Queen’s Speech. There are no current plans to publish the Bill in draft.

Criminal Proceedings

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether the provisions of the Courts Bill as introduced will simplify the criminal justice system for offenders.

Dominic Raab: We are committed to providing alternative ways for all users of the courts system, including defendants, victims and witnesses, to access our services. We will introduce legislation to modernise the courts system. Our provisions will reform the courts system in England and Wales to ensure it is more efficient and accessible, and in doing so utilise more modern technology. In our criminal courts, we are already investing in new digital technology.

Offenders: Rehabilitation

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether the provisions of the Courts Bill as introduced will include a legal duty on prisons to reform and rehabilitate offenders.

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether the provisions of the Courts Bill, as introduced, will include a legal duty on him to report to Parliament on progress made on reforming and rehabilitating offenders.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The Prison Safety and Reform White Paper published in November set out a clear plan for reform and is achievable without legislation. To that end there will be no prison measures in the Courts Bill. We remain absolutely committed to continuing to reform our prisons, delivering our white paper to make them places of reform and rehabilitation. We are already making good progress against that plan: for example, we are transforming our prison estate by closing old and dilapidated prisons and creating 10,000 new places through a £1.3 billion investment.

Scotland Office

Domestic Visits: Glasgow East

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, on which dates (a) he and (b) a Minister of his Department last attended an official engagement in Glasgow East constituency.

David Mundell: Scotland Office Ministers travel throughout Scotland and meet with stakeholders to discuss a wide variety of issues on a regular basis. I have undertaken many engagements in Glasgow as Secretary of State for Scotland.

Regeneration:Barrhead

Paul Masterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what Government investment and projects supporting regeneration there are in Barrhead, East Renfrewshire.

David Mundell: In 2014, the UK Government agreed to commit £500 million to a city region deal for Glasgow and the Clyde Valley, which includes support for infrastructure projects in East Renfrewshire. A number of projects along the M77 Strategic Corridor have been put forward by East Renfrewshire Council for inclusion in the Deal, including the Ballygraystone Road improvement works and a new train station, all of which are all intended to improve access to Barrhead and which are now being taken forward. Additional support is being provided across the region to help young people access the job market and to support those already in work.

Urban Areas: Scotland

Stephen Kerr: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what discussions his Department has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on funding for the Stirling and Clackmannanshire City Deal.

Stephen Kerr: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what discussions his Department has had with representatives of local authorities on the Stirling and Clackmannanshire City Deal.

David Mundell: My Rt hon Friend the Chancellor announced in November 2016 that the UK Government will support a City Region Deal covering Stirling and Clackmannanshire. Since then, we have been working with local partners and the Scottish Government to agree the elements of such a deal, most recently to discuss Innovation proposals (9 May), Tourism proposals (17 May), Housing proposals (30 May) and Transport proposals (31 May). I am confident that these negotiations will lead to a transformative City Region Deal that will give a boost to key sectors of the economy while delivering the necessary support infrastructure.

Cabinet Office

General Election 2017

Helen Hayes: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland played a role in the post-election negotiations with the Democratic Unionist Party.

Damian Green: The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has been focused on his role in representing the UK Government to restore inclusive power-sharing government. He has been engaging intensively with the parties, communities and businesses on the ground since these talks began, and that will continue in the weeks ahead. The Chief Whip and First Secretary of State have led on discussions with DUP on confidence and supply arrangements.

Marriage: Northern Ireland

Catherine West: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he has made representations to the Democratic Unionist Party leader, Arlene Foster on the extension of (a) civil partnerships and (b) same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland.

Damian Green: The Government remains absolutely committed to LGBT equality and the Prime Minister has been very clear that any arrangement with the DUP will not affect LGBT rights in the UK. This is a devolved matter and is therefore for a reformed Northern Ireland Executive to determine.

LGBT People

Catherine West: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the protection and promotion of LGBT rights was discussed at recent meetings with the leadership of the Democratic Unionist Party.

Damian Green: Holding answer received on 26 June 2017



The Government remains absolutely committed to LGBT equality and the Prime Minister has been very clear that any arrangement with the DUP will not affect LGBT rights in the UK.

Human Rights: Females

Catherine West: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the protection and promotion of women's rights was discussed at recent meetings with the leadership of the Democratic Unionist Party.

Damian Green: Holding answer received on 26 June 2017



The Government remains absolutely committed to the protection and promotion of women’s rights. The Prime Minister has been very clear that any arrangement with the DUP will not affect women’s rights in the UK.

Climate Change

Catherine West: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether tackling climate change was discussed at recent meetings with the DUP leadership.

Damian Green: The Government has published the terms of the supply and confidence agreement between the Conservative Party and DUP. The agreement ensures DUP support on votes on the Queen’s Speech, the Budget, and on legislation relating to our exit from the European Union and national security. All other matters will be agreed on a case by case basis.

LGBT People

Catherine West: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent discussions he has had with Ruth Davidson MSP on (a) promoting LGBT rights across all countries within the UK and (b) the priorities for the Government's deal with the DUP.

Damian Green: The Government remains absolutely committed to LGBT equality and the Prime Minister has been very clear that any arrangement with the DUP will not affect LGBT rights in the UK. The priorities for the deal between the Conservative party and the DUP have been set out in the agreement.

Queen's Speech

Grahame Morris: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish minutes of the meetings between Ministers and the Democratic Unionist Party on supporting the Queen's Speech 2017.

Damian Green: Discussions between the Conservative and Democratic Unionist Parties were on a political basis. Minutes were not taken.

Constituencies

Justin Madders: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what his policy is on the 2018 constituency boundary review.

Chris Skidmore: The Government's manifesto re-affirms the commitment to deliver equal and updated boundaries and reduce the size of the House of Commons. Following laws already passed by Parliament, the independent and impartial Boundary Commissions are consulting on their proposals to deliver the boundary changes, and they will submit their final proposals to Parliament in autumn 2018. These reforms will ensure fair and equal representation for the voting public across the United Kingdom. Equalising the size of constituencies in the Boundary Review will ensure everyone’s vote will carry equal weight. Without such boundary reforms, MPs could end up representing constituencies based on data that is over 20 years’ old, disregarding significant changes in demographics, house building and migration.

Polling Stations: British Nationals Abroad

Lyn Brown: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make an assessment of the value of using overseas diplomatic facilities as polling stations, to help electors living abroad to vote.

Lyn Brown: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will provide funding to local authorities to use rapid international postal services to send postal ballot packs to overseas electors, in particular where an election occurs unexpectedly.

Chris Skidmore: The Government has no plans to establish polling stations in other countries in the foreseeable future. However, the Government previously took action to make postal voting a more feasible option for overseas voters by lengthening the electoral timetable and removing the restriction on issuing postal votes ahead of the postal vote application deadline. Overseas voters can also appoint a proxy voter in the United Kingdom on their behalf. Introducing the use of embassies or consulates as polling stations would raise logistical and security issues in delivering, returning and counting ballot papers from embassies.Rapid international postal services are not used to send postal ballot packs to overseas electors in order to keep the cost to the public purse reasonable when administering national elections. We will assess the balance between cost-effectiveness, and the importance of ensuring that overseas voters are able to engage in the democratic process, further in advance of future elections.

Social Enterprises: Procurement

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that the UK leaving the EU does not adversely affect public procurement opportunities for social enterprises.

Caroline Nokes: The current public procurement rules will continue to apply until the UK has left the EU following the successful conclusion of exit negotiations. The longer-term opportunities for our procurement regulations are being considered carefully.

Low Pay: Barnsley Central

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people working in Barnsley Central constituency earn less than £10 per hour.

Chris Skidmore: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.



UKSA Response to PQ1216
(PDF Document, 66.52 KB)

Zero-hours Contracts: Barnsley Central

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people in Barnsley Central constituency are employed on zero-hour contracts.

Chris Skidmore: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.



UKSA Response to PQ1217
(PDF Document, 121.5 KB)

Constituencies

Alan Brown: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the cost to the public purse was of the revision of constituency boundaries review undertaken in the 2015-2017 Parliament for (a) Scotland, (b) England, (c) Northern Ireland and (d) Wales.

Alan Brown: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the cost to the public purse was of the Sixth Periodic Review of constituency boundaries undertaken in the 2010-2015 Parliament for (a) Scotland, (b) England, (c) Northern Ireland and (d) Wales.

Chris Skidmore: During the 2015-17 Parliament, each Boundary Commission spent approximately the following on the conduct of the current Boundary Review which is due to report in 2018: (a) Scotland - £380,000(b) England - £2,711,000(c) Northern Ireland - £374,000(d) Wales - £441,000 The Sixth Periodic Review of constituency boundaries was due to report in 2013, though it was moved to 2018 following an amendment to the Electoral Registration and Administration (ERA) Act 2013. At the time that the ERA Bill received Royal Assent in January 2013, each of the four Boundary Commissions had spent approximately the following amounts: (a) Scotland – £680,000(b) England – £4,867,000(c) Northern Ireland – £698,000(d) Wales – £819,000

Small Businesses: Linlithgow and East Falkirk

Martyn Day: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the (a) amount and (b) proportion of public procurement spend by Government that has reached small and medium-sized firms in Linlithgow and East Falkirk constituency in the last three years.

Caroline Nokes: In 2014-15, Central Government spent over £12 billion (27.1%) with small and medium sized businesses, which shows a continued year on year increase in SMEs winning public procurements. Information on all public sector suppliers within a specific constituency is not held centrally.

National Cyber Security Centre

Martyn Day: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the number of people, businesses and organisations from (a) Linlithgow and East Falkirk constituency, (b) Scotland and (c) the UK who have received advice and support from the National Cyber Security Centre.

Caroline Nokes: The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) works with a wide range of partners, including devolved administrations, to provide advice and support to people, businesses and organisations across the UK. Where appropriate, the NCSC also provides assistance to organisations in responding to cyber security incidents. Through its website, social media and diverse range of partnerships, its advice and support is widely available to all.

Cybercrime

Martyn Day: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the number of (a) cyber security experts required to implement the National Cyber Security Strategy and (b) such experts working in the UK; and what steps the Government is taking to encourage people studying computer science to pursue careers in cyber security.

Caroline Nokes: The National Cyber Security Strategy 2016-2021 outlines the government’s ambition to deliver a self-sustaining pipeline of talent providing the skills to meet our national needs across the public and private sectors. This is needed to close the gap between supply and demand for cyber security experts, estimated to reach over 40,000 by 2020 without intervention.Ensuring the UK has the cyber security experts it needs is a key government priority. Our Cyber First programme inspires and supports students from age 11 to pursue careers in cyber security.

Zero-hours Contracts: St Helens North

Conor McGinn: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people in St Helens North constituency are employed on zero-hours contracts; and how many of those people are (a) aged between 16 and 24 and (b) women.

Chris Skidmore: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.



UKSA Response to PQ1019
(PDF Document, 122.15 KB)